


Headlock

by Knightqueen



Series: Broken Dimensions Series [2]
Category: Fantastic Four (Movieverse), Fantastic Four (Ultimateverse), Marvel Ultimates, X-Men (Movies)
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Action/Adventure, Comics/Movie Crossover, Crossover, F/M, Family Drama, Friendship, Gen, Male-Female Friendship, Rating: PG13, Romance, Sibling Love, Sibling Rivalry, X-Men Crossover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-01
Updated: 2012-04-02
Packaged: 2017-11-02 23:01:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/374326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Knightqueen/pseuds/Knightqueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post ROTSS: As things in the fantastic four's lives begin to settle down, Sue becomes suspscious when Jean Grey decides to pay a visit to the Baxter Building. Crossover with X-Men Movieverse and the Ultimate Marvel Universe, sequel to "Vespertilio". DISCONTINUED.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Distant Flickering

**Disclaimer:** Fantastic Four and all things related (Ultimate or Standard Marvel Universe alike), are property of Stan Lee and the late Jack Kirby.  _Fantastic Four/Rise of the Silver Surfer_ , and  _X-Men_  are copyrighted to 20th Century Fox and Marvel Enterprises. I own nothing save Original Characters and the Storyline. All rights reserved.

 **Authors note:** This is a continuation of  _"Vespertilio"._  You might wanna read that to understand this. There may be spoilers to the F4 sequel. Also, when it comes the controls of a Aircraft, the pull back and thrusting forward concept confuses me. Though I'm guessing pulling back is pulling up and pushing forward is diving down (shrugs). Constructive Criticism please.

* * *

**Chapter One: Distant Flickering**

* * *

Nighttime in New York was often described as luminescent. If man were to stand on the highest point and look over the city, he would be left breathless by its beauty. Even the streets overcrowded by cars, desperate to get their desired destination, added to this metropolis' sparkle.

This world, however, went unnoticed by Reed Richards. He sat outside on the balcony rail his back pressed firmly against the wall behind him, one leg hug over the rail swinging idly while the other balanced carefully on the rail. His elbow rested on his knee, his eyes went over a analysis as the data scrolled up the screen of data pad. Chewing on the end of his pen he averted his attention away from the pad and skyward, his brown eyes admired the clear sky decorated with stars. He found himself wondering where their enemy-turned ally,  _the Silver Surfer_ , had gone.

Or if he even survived his suicidal mission to destroy his 'master',  _Galactus._  Tapping the pen against his bottom lip he lowered his gaze back to the data pad. It been two months since the Surfer incident and it had sparked Reed's curiosity with the universe once more. With an upgraded lab and equipment, he found himself able to do things he could've only dreamed of. Becoming a "superhero" had its perks after all, beyond selfless devotion to the job. When he wasn't busy with other projects or spending time with Sue and the others, Reed explored the vast reaches of space that were made available to him. It made him wonder if the N-Zone was indeed another dimension or simply another part of unexplored space out of human reach; It made him wonder what it would be like to explore a world of such magnitude.

Reed was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he hadn't heard Sue walk onto the balcony, a envelope in hand. Sue wore a black ensemble; A pleated skirt, heels, and turtle neck that matched perfectly with her thick rimmed glasses. Her blonde hair was pulled up into a neat bun that always completed her 'I'm sophisticated, smart, and snobby' look. It made most men turn away, while others refused to be intimidated by her unkind looks and  _Banana Republic_  attire. She played with the tip of the envelope as she observed Reed's star-gazing with mild interest. Sue would be lying if she said she wasn't a little interested by the worlds that laid beyond theirs, but she never let it consume her. One trip into outer space would be enough to last her a lifetime. Walking onward, she placed herself beside Reed who remained oblivious to her presence until the data pad he was studying so fiercely vanished from sight.

Reed jumped back in surprise. For the briefest of seconds his brow furrowed in confusion, then a smile spread across his face. He turned to greet his wife and found his lips caught in a passionate kiss, a kiss he leaned eagerly into. Sue removed the data pad and pen from his possession with a flick of hand, they landed gracefully on the patio table without trouble. Her hands cupped his face while his straddled her waist, he was so caught up in the swirl of passion that he nearly fell off the balcony rail. Sue broke away with a short laugh, she pulled him off the rail.

"Don't too get carried away," She chuckled. Reed dusted his pants off - a sheepish smile playing on his lips, the sensation of his burning cheeks made him feel a little silly. "Sorry," He sighed. "What's up?" Sue shrugged her shoulders, raising her arms she wrapped them around his neck. "Nothin' much. City's been quiet, I've been enjoying all my free time with Ben, Johnny… and you," Sue sighed dreamily. "But then I thought … why not have a night on the town? Maybe go to a charity ball?" Sue raised the envelope so that it was positioned between them. Reed paused for a second regarding the object with caution, he took the envelope from her hands and proceeded into open it in the neatest way possible. Lifting the tab open he removed the professionally designed card and proceeded to read:

"Samantha Best, editor of best selling author who brought you 'Daylight Robbery' cordially invites The Fantastic 4 to the 1st annual Richards/Best Charity Ball. Formal Dress is required. Be there at 10:00pm sharp! - All the best, Samantha Best."

Reed put the card back in the envelope almost a little too harshly before looking back up an expectant Sue Storm. "So?" She inquired. Reed bit the inside of his cheek, thinking of a way to carefully word what he was going to say next without tipping off his wife. He strode past her quickly to hide the scowl on his face, he could feel a headache coming on. "I thought the whole point of our time off was to stay out of the public eye?" He asked falling back onto his bed. "Yes, that's one of the points, but we - or at least  _I_  - can't stay cooped up in this building forever. I'm getting a little antsy if you hadn't noticed. Johnny is too," Sue pointed out.

How could he not notice Sue's restlessness? It became a constant and notciable by the second week of their vacation. He suspected Sue was behind the disappearance of most of his lab equipment. They would go missing for days on end before reappearing again, no explanations offered. "Johnny's always antsy," Reed whined, pressing a hand to his head.

"Reed, if you don't want to go then don't. If this is about your sister being there, then I understand. I won't hold it against you," Sue said, joining him on the bed. Reed pushed himself up into a sitting position, he met Sue's gaze, laced with silent understanding. "You don't think I've read  _Daylight Robbery?_ " Sue inquired wryly.

"Not at all," Reed answered, shaking his head. He had spotted the book on her pillow one night and automatically knew it was hers. After all, Johnny wouldn't read it, and if Ben read it, he did in secret and not in their bedroom. Sue rolled over until she was up against his side, she lowered his head and rested her chin on his chest. The beat of his heart was soothing, her fingers traced circles on his shirt. They laid in silence for the longest time, neither one of them daring to break the serenity which had been achieved. Then Sue reminded herself of the conversation they had yet to finish. As if reading her mind, Reed said, "I'll come with you, Sue. To the party."

"I don't want you going because you feel obligated to," Sue chided. "I promise you, its not like that. I want to go. I could use a little time away from my projects anyway," He murmured. "Good! Then I'll let you get ready," Pulling herself up she planted a kiss on his lips and climbed off the bed. Reed remained lying on his back, dumbfounded. He hated it when her moods would do a 180 on him.

* * *

"Tell me, why were going to this… what was it again?" Johnny grumbled, loosening and tightening his black tie. He sat in the front with his sister, fidgeting constantly in his chair whilst he played with his tie. Reed and Ben sat in the back, both men distracted by the world speeding by their respective windows. The ride from the Baxter Building had been relatively quiet, until Johnny had spoken. "I canceled a very important date with Frankie, you know," He said. Sue barely cast a look in her brother's direction as she navigated the relatively crowded streets of New York, her manicured fingernail tapped rhythmically on the steering wheel as the Audi came to a halt. "It's a charity ball, sponsored by an author whose book was just released.

You didn't have to blow her off, you know. You  _could've_ brought her along," Sue chided. Johnny just gave his sister a helpless shrug readjusting his tie once again. "Where's the fun in that? She can't miss me if she's with me," Johnny replied. Sue shook her head in mild-disapproval, pulling the car off the road and towards the empty space near the curb. "You'll be lucky if she even speaks to you again," The elder Storm rebuked, turning off the engine. She cast a glance over her shoulder to check on the passengers in the back; Along with Johnny, Ben was already climbing out of the car, Reed lingered in the back rubbing the side of his head, his face contorted in mild pain. "Hey," She reached over and placed a hand on his hand that rested on the side of Johnny's chair. "You okay?" Reed nodded quickly lowering his hand from his head. "Yeah, I'm all right. Just a little headache," He said offhandedly.

" _Reed_ ," Sue's large blue eyes narrowed considerably, Reed felt the collar of his shirt tighten around his neck. "Honestly, it's not bad," Reed insisted. Sue's gaze lingered on Reed for as long as she could do without blinking, Reed's pleading expression did not falter into nervousness like she had hoped. She would ask about his headaches later, now was not the time though. "All right," She said finally. Reed nodded stiffly, his exhale loud enough to be heard outside the car; Johnny lowered himself to the level of the window and cast an impatient look to both occupants.

Sue and Reed climbed out of the car joining Ben and Johnny on the sidewalk, which teemed with guests coming and going out the building rented for the evening's illustrious charity ball and book signing for Enid Richard's latest book,  _Daylight Robbery_. They made their way through the fluxing crowd of people, smiling or posing every now and then whenever a picture was taken, Sue found herself reigning her brother in whenever he stopped for too long. Once through the towering doors, they took a path that lead away from the majority reporters and flashing cameras towards the buffet. Johnny ventured to the end of the buffet table, followed closely by Ben who mumbled in disappointment at lack of fine wines. Reed's eyes darted across all visible areas of the room he swallowed against his nervousness until his throat felt parched.

Sue gave his suit jacket a fierce tug. "Reed, stop looking for her," She whispered loudly. "Looking for who?" Reed said in mock-innocence, smiling in the direction of a woman waving to him. Sue wrapped her arm around his waist turning him in the opposite direction of the ogling woman, her fingers wrapped irritably against his jacket. " _Stop_ , looking for … _Enid!_  How nice to see you again!" Sue's mock-pleasant words were sour on her tongue when she came face to face the familiar blue eyes and bunched velvety blond curls.

Enid Richards, dressed in a strapless silk evening gown that stopped short at the ankles, embroidered in velvet blue roses. She wore 3-inch blue heels, while nothing accented her skinny neck. Diamond teardrop earrings dangled from her ears and seemed like a great weight to carry. Enid gave Sue a tight-lipped smile her fingers squeezed the stem glass cup a little too tightly. Sue simply rolled her eyes at the young woman before her eyes shifted toward Reed, who watched Enid expectantly, almost hopefully. Enid cast a glance around the room uneasily before turning her attention back to the married couple. "Hi, Reed, how was the wedding?" She inquired.

"It was great, thank you very much," Sue did not bother to hide the disdain that threaded through her voice. She flashed her diamond ring to the youngest Richards and raised Reed's right hand revealing the wedding band. "So  _great,_  in fact, you forgot to invite me!" Enid's smile grew a bit wider, her face felt like it would break into tiny pieces as she placed her hand on her chest in mock-hurt. Sue now fought against the sneer that pulled at her lips. "It was kinda last minute, we couldn't have possibly invited you to Japan and expect you to get there in a day. However, we did invite you to the first five attempts. Why didn't you come?" Sue asked sarcastically.

"A little trouble with the folks, couldn't get away," Came the practiced reply. This time Reed spoke. "How are the folks? And Libby?" He said. Enid nodded stiffly licking her lips. "Libby's fine, the folks are fine. Dad just had a little… problem with his heart... false alarm. The doctors want him to take it easy for now, though." Lowering her glass onto the table, she stepped forward and embraced her brother in an awkward hug, which he returned without hesitance. Sue watched the two with uneasy eyes. Enid pulled away hastily, smoothing out her dress in manner that clearly indicated her discomfort. Tucking her hair back behind her ears, she smiled pleasantly at the couple, picked up her glass, and made a hasty retreat across the room, barely avoiding Johnny as he stepped in her path.

Johnny lingered where he stood, watching with mild curiosity as the tiny woman pushed her way through the crowd towards the restroom. Shaking himself out of his reverie, he joined Sue and Reed back at the buffet table. "Hey, wasn't that your sister, Reed?" He inquired, eyebrows raised to their highest. Reed's eyes shifted from the crowd to his brother-in law, his eyebrows narrowed in that way that would make anyone flinch, save his sister. "Yes, that was Enid. She came over and said hi," Reed replied. "Really? Because it looked like she was going to puke," He said.

Silence lingered between the three for what seemed like forever, Sue watched her husband struggle internally over keeping his distance from his perturbed sister or walk bravely into the woman's bathroom and attempt to comfort her unforgivable hide. Therefore, instead of letting him make the fatal mistake of walking into a public restroom designated for women, Sue wrapped an arm around his and took a hold of his hand. "Oh, look Reed, a balcony!" Sue proclaimed in the best-surprised voice she could muster. She led Reed towards the stairs that would take them to the second floor. Reed gave her a reprimanding look but she ignored it and continued to pull him upstairs.

Johnny now stood amongst the crowd; deserted by his sister and brother-in law. Scratching the back of his neck he scanned the crowd for the familiar pile of rocks that was Benjamin Grimm. When he did not spot Ben in the immediate vicinity, Johnny took it upon himself to look for him. The reporters were keeping themselves occupied with the all the business concerning the new book, the author, and the charity.

The presence of the Fantastic 4 didn't seem to bring them over like a hive of bees anymore.  _Disappointing,_ Johnny mused turning the corner. He ventured into a hallway full of nothing but doors, it tickled his curiosity to a point where he was almost tempted open them all, but thought better against it. Swallowing the last of his wine he jogged down the hall and entered a lavish lobby dressed to the nines in maroon carpet draped on the floor cushioning his steps, he gazed out the large balcony window, watching as the curtains danced on the breeze that came through it. Where the hell was Ben? "Benji? Where are you?" He called.

"Over here, matches," Came the Thing's reply. Johnny's face lit up in a brief smile when he spotted Ben standing at the end of the hall, nearest to the elevator door as it closed. "Dude, where you been? This party's seriously boring, there's a total of zero babes in this place, unless you count Reed's sister and her editor, but that's just one percent!" Ben rolled his eyes at the boy's rambling.

"Not my fault, kid. Besides you coulda brought Frankie, your  _girlfriend,"_  Ben emphasized on the last word as if to get his meaning across. Johnny rolled his eyes. "Don't remind me…," He grumbled dejectedly, scratching his neck again. "Anyway, are you ready to blow this Popsicle stand? I'm just itching to stretch my legs, if you know what I mean," Johnny wagged his eyebrows suggestively at the elder man. For all intents and purposes, Ben decided to believe Johnny had meant cruising above New York and not the opposite. "Yeah, I'm not having too much fun myself. I'm not even sure why Enid's editor invited us," Ben answered.

Johnny gave him a shrug of indifference. "I hear she's got a thing for  _The Thing,"_  Johnny mused.

"Tough rocks for her then. I'm taken," Ben chuckled at the very notion of his words.

* * *

"So are you enjoying the party?" Sue inquired after a long silence. Reed shrugged, dividing his attention on coming up with an answer and listening to his fingers drum against the railing. He had been like this for a few days now. Reclusive, moody, and suffering from headaches that lasted until the next day. Painkillers did not ease the pain. Once the pain in his head had amplified Johnny's loud mouthing so much, he snapped at the boy. Afterward, the fear that Johnny would've charbroiled him afterward made him wish that was fire resistant like Ben. Pulling himself out of his train of thought, his eyes began to wander towards Sue when they spotted Enid storming across the smooth title floor. He quickly turned and faced Sue who obviously noticed his observation.

"Reed, you shouldn't torture yourself about this," She said. "There are plenty people who accept you for who you are. Libby, your parents, me, Ben, Johnny…" Sue trailed when he nodded, hoping he truly understood the message she was trying to get to him. "I-I know, I'm just not sure what I expected, I guess," He mumbled, squeezing his eyes shut. Sue felt her own body tense immediately when his hand reached up and started rubbing his forehead. "Did it just get louder in here?" He asked weakly.

"What? No," Sue blurted in utter confusion. Reed's brow wrinkled a little more, no sooner had Sue answered his question the noise seemed to amplify as if to mock him. Now his head was buzzing with felt like white noise and a thousand voices speaking at once, all them frantic. Slowly he lowered his head onto the railing; the throbbing in his head was getting worse. By the time Sue pulled herself out her state of surprise, Reed's hand was already pounding against his head.

"Okay, its time to go home. This is obviously not just another headache," She said hastily grabbing his arm again. Reed did not bother to fight her on leaving the party; he followed submissively letting her lead him down the stairs while he held onto the railing, unable to trust his legs would keep him upright. They tried their best not to look too conspicuous, all eyes unconsciously fell on them with mild disinterest or surprise. Reed felt the buzzing increase in his head, the voices in his head became more frantic in their attempts to grab his attention.

They managed to make it out into the lobby, where Sue spotted Johnny and Ben making their own exit through the front door, most likely to go party somewhere more exciting. Behind them, the sound of heels clicking rapidly brought them to a halt. The image of Enid approaching, waddling clumsily in her heels would have been amusing, but Sue was not in the mood to be amused. Enid skid to a halt with a dignified huff. "W-where are you going? You're my guests of honor," She proclaimed. Reed winced at the volume of her voice, cracking open one eye he glowered at his sister. "We're going home, Enid," He replied tightly. "If you've got a problem with that-"

" _Of course_  I have a problem with it! Your early leave would look tacky, if anything," Enid stammered, with a wave of an arm. "Like my book was bad or something…" Reed groaned, pressing a palm to his head. Now was not the time to try to pin him with a guilt trip, his brain was close to numb and his irritability limit was at its highest. Grinding his teeth, he exhaled heavily through his nose to insinuate on his growing disposition. "Enid now's really not the time for this. Its not as if you wanted us here to begin with, this was your editor's doing. Go back to your party," Reed grounded out.

Enid stood before her brother, a dumbfounded expression befallen her pallid face. It took another second, but Enid managed to find her feet again and she stormed out of the lobby, her train of her dress billowing behind her like an avenging shadow. Sue was brought of her reverie when the weight of Reed's body came crashing down against her right side, she recovered quickly pulling them both upright again. "Whoa! Okay, let's get you out of here before you pass out," She muttered. "Excellent idea," He moaned. The two made a hasty retreat out the door and towards the car.

* * *

That night, Sue found that sleep was the farthest thing from her mind. Something was making her uneasy. Whether or not it was because Reed laid next to her, his ragged breathing reminded her of a dog who run for miles, or she was simply still recovering from her death experience, she wasn't sure. Another possibility for her uneasiness would be the aftermath of the party; by the time they had gotten into the Baxter Building, Reed was more than happy to give in to his body's desires and empty his stomach of everything he had consumed before the party.

He remained in the bathroom with the door locked for the rest of the night, dry heaving. Finally he joined her in bed, utterly exhausted. Rolling onto her back she proceeded to stare up at the ceiling, wondering why it had yet to earn any of a ceiling's trademark cracks in it beautiful surface. Her hand rubbed the center of her chest self-consciously, her heart beat quickening a bit.

Reed moved to the end of the bed, twisting in such a way that the majority of the sheets on her side slid away from her. She dodged his arm as it came up from his side and draped itself across their pillows. Sue pulled her hair out from under his arm and proceeded push herself off the bed; sitting upright she stared past her hair at her husband.

Reed tossed and turned on the mattress, his hands gripping the sheets, his mouth spewed incoherent phrases garbled by an eerie laugh followed by a whimper. He turned on his side, pulling the covers tighter around his body. "Reed," Sue's hand was already on his shoulder trying to arouse him from his uneasy slumber. Her fingers gripped his shoulder when he tried to pull away. "Reed, Reed wake up," Sue whispered more urgently.

Sue was unable to stifle her startled cry when Reed took a hold of her wrist and pull himself upright. The room spun at a sickeningly fast speed, he pushed himself away from the edge of the bed upon feeling himself begin to tilt. He pulled his legs up to his chest and stuck his head between his legs to prevent another unpleasant upheaval of what wasn't in his stomach. Sue rubbed his back in a circular motion with her free hand unable to bring herself to move the one caught in Reed's grip. Reed pulled his head from between his head, he released Sue's wrist, proceeding to place both hands against his pounding head. "Your head still hurts?" She whispered.

"Yeah, but not as bad," He rasped, squeezing his eyes shut again. The buzzing was faint now, the voices, however, continued to scream at him, clawing every fiber of his sanity. Sighing heavily, Sue scooted closer to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders; he leaned in against her with a sigh that made him shudder. They sat in the darkness taking comfort in each other's embrace, Sue felt her stomach twisting in knots when the heat radiating from Reed's head seeped past her hair onto her scalp. "Your really warm…" Sue said. "I think you might be getting sick."

Reed nodded his head, another tremor wracked his body. "With the flu? I h-hope not," He murmured. Instinctively, Sue would've questioned him about how he was feeling, but given the time of night - or morning - the questions could wait until he was at least well enough to storm out of a room in anger. Lowering her head she buried her face in the crook of his neck, soon afterward she drifted to sleep.

* * *

**(TBC)**


	2. Two: Faces of Condensation

Sue stirred at the sound of traffic raging outside the open window, she exhaled as stretched her limbs. A smile broke out on her lips, she hadn't slept that well in weeks. Rolling onto her side, she steadily began to notice the absence of Reed. Her head turned towards his pillow, his side remained disheveled to her surprise. He always made it his business to make his side of the bed neat, despite the silliness of the principle.

Pulling herself out the bed, Sue made her way out of the bedroom combing back her hair as she did so. She welcomed the sound of the television. Johnny or Ben were probably watching it. Peeking into the bathroom, she was relieved to find it unoccupied. Closing the door, Sue glided into the living room with a smile when she spotted Ben on the couch, Alicia curled up next to him listening to the television program he was watching. Her eyes traveled past the living room and caught the back of her brother, hunched over the counter munching on a bowl of corn flakes, oblivious to the world outside the kitchen.

"Morning Sue," Alicia greeted, looking up in her direction. Sue smiled, Alicia's ability to tell who was in the room just by their footfalls was uncanny. "Hey, Alicia, when'd you get here?" She said. Alicia shrugged her shoulders, her fingernails trailing the front of Ben's chest. "Half an hour ago. How was the party last night?"

"Ugh, very boring," Sue drawled, casting a glance at the kitchen. "Where did you and Johnny go anyway, Ben?" Ben shrugged dismissively. He and Johnny hadn't really found a place to party aside from their usual hang out at the bar. Even there the atmosphere was dreary, almost too sleepy to even carry on a conversation. The silence was so thick it felt wrong whenever something made even the slightest noise. Johnny and Ben had drank their beers and returned home, only an hour after Sue and Reed. "Nowhere special, Suzie," Ben answered distractedly. Sue rolled her eyes good-humouredly as she proceeded down the hall towards the lab. The eerie silence in place of the various sounds that usually resonated off the corridor walls, made Sue pause.

Normally, at this time of day she would hear the wheels of Reed's office chair rolling across the floor, the occasional _tap-tap-tap_ of the keyboard, or if she was lucky, Reed talking aloud to himself as he puzzled over a problem. As her fingers fell away the wall's chair railing, she stepped into the lab, besides the light emitting from large view screen's screen saver, the room was enshrouded in darkness. Frowning she walked towards the computer center, she lowered herself into the chair and tapped the space bar of the keyboard.

The screen in front of her came to life, in the center was a small box detailing the last time it was used. " _6/25/07_ ," She mouthed. That was yesterday, Reed hadn't been inside this room at all this morning. Her brow furrowed, rising out of the seat she ventured out of the lab in a hurry. Upon reentering the living room, Sue noticed Alicia was the first one to look up in her direction, a frown mirroring her own, on her face. "Sue, what's wrong?" Alicia asked. Sue shifted her weight as her fingers pulled at the frayed ends of her T-Shirt. "Have any of you seen Reed?" She inquired.

It was in this moment that Johnny decided to come out of the kitchen with the bowl of cornflakes balancing in his hand. He caught sight of his sister wearing a frown and he raised a hand to get her attention. "If your looking for Reed, he's not in the lab," Johnny shouted over the volume of the television. Sue came to a halt halfway out of the living room her gaze locking onto her brother, she folded her arms over her chest, a challenging gesture. "I know he's not in the lab!" Sue spat.

"Yeah, and if's he's not in the lab, he's with you, doing -" Pause, a wag of the eyebrows, " _Whatever_ , with you. He probably just went shopping," Johnny finished. Sue ignored her brothers implicative comment and ran back down the hall, entering the bedroom she grabbed her cell phone off the beside table and dialed Reed's number. Pressing the cold plastic to her ear, she tapped her foot impatiently. Time slowed, Sue watched the birds seemingly crawl across the stone railing of the balcony outside of Reed's window, the television's volume becoming increasingly annoying.

"Hi, this Reed Richards, I'm not here right now, please leave your message at the beep."

Sue flinched at the high-pitched beep that emitted no sooner than the message had ended. She redialed his number five more times with the same end results. She snapped the cell phone closed, but kept it on. A chill ran down her spine. There were endless possibilities that could explain Reed's absence from the Baxter Building, none of them were life-threatening. But she couldn't swallow the sense of dread that had been creeping up on her since she woke up.

"Did he answer?" Sue gasped, looking up from her phone she spotted her brother leaning up against the doorframe. She bit her lip with a shake of her head. "No, he didn't," She said. Johnny nodded unsure of what to say without sounding patronizing. Scratching the back of his head he approached his sister, Sue regarded him with a wary gaze despite knowing his intent. She relaxed into his embrace when his arm wrapped around her shoulders and his head rested against hers. "I wouldn't worry about it. He's probably fine," Johnny mused. Sue's face scrunched up as a pang assaulted her heart. "Yeah, your probably right. He's fine…"

Now, why can't I just believe it?

* * *

Of all the places to dream about, (because he was sure he was dreaming), Reed did not expect to find himself in standing in the middle of the corridor for Xavier's mansion turned school. His mind seemed to capture every detail of the large hallway down to the lamps sitting idly on the tables next to the professor's office double doors. "Hello? Anybody here?" There was no answer. He had only been here once, he was expecting to the place to be teeming with overzealous teenagers and energetic children, maybe the occasional adult. It was strangely vacant instead, the silence was making hard to focus on one particular thing. Turning on one heel he spotted one of the walls retracting to reveal the elevator he had ridden in with Jean Grey.

The wall stopped retracting with a loud hiss, Reed felt his stomach twist in knots, his joints locked up preventing him from moving forward, his breath was harsh against his already chapped lips. "H-hello?" He called again. Reed's heart beat erratically in his chest, skipping and pausing as he forced himself to breathe. Calm down, Reed, this is just a dream. Nothing can hurt you here, he thought wearily as someone stepped out of the elevator. Standing mere inches away from the elevator door was none other than the physic wonder herself, Jean Grey. Reed felt his body relax at the sight of her, he breathed a heavy sigh of relief through his laughter, Jean smiled back. "Dr. Grey - Jean, what-?"

"Hello Reed. Your probably wondering what your doing here," Jean stated. Reed nodded, never missing a beat. "Then follow me. I can answer your questions," Jean stepped inside the elevator, Reed followed without hesitation. He stepped into the elevator as the door closed. The ride down was encompassed in silence, Reed leaned up against the railing behind him watching the overhead lights flickering overhead. His gaze would drift over to Jean every so often. For the first time he noticed that her hair was shorter, perfectly spiked at the ends where she had taken the scissors to it. She wore a black V-neck shirt and a solid brown skirt that wrinkled around the ends, accenting her pointed cowboy boots.

The entire ensemble was stunning. She noticed his admiring gaze, and answered with a seductive smirk and once-over. A gesture he'd get from Sue. He smiled uneasily before focusing on the flickering lights again. He was a married man, why she was behaving like this in his dream? "Because this is not a dream, Reed," Jean answered, advancing on him.

Reed's brow creased considerably, he moved a little to the side to avoid being pinned. She leaned in close enough so that her lips brushed his. "I can do more than just enter your dreams. I can set you free," She whispered sweetly. He turned to meet her fiery brown eyes, unconsciously swallowing against his better judgement. Just as her fingers neared his head, Jean let out a startled gasp. Reed moved sideways out of her reach, watching with wide eyes as she fought to regain her composure.

"I'm sorry," She whispered, pulling her sleeves over her hands. "I haven't been myself lately." Reed nodded stiffly, the tightness in chest alleviating. Jean stepped back and remained at a respectful distance. The elevator finally came to a stop, the door opened revealing the cold silver interior of the lower level. Reed was more than eager get out, however, a firm hand wrapped around his forearm. "Wait," Jean said, pulling him back into the elevator.

"W-why? What's wrong?" Reed stammered. Jean's eyes stared down at the onyx door awaiting them at the end of the hall. She locked gazes with the confused scientist once more. Just as her lips parted to speak, the onyx doors began to slide open, a pungent gust of wind rushed out and crashed against them. Reed nearly gagged as he and Jean stumbled back, Reed could feel Jean's chest rising and falling against his back. "We shouldn't be here. I shouldn't have brought you here!" She proclaimed, in a panic.

"What's going on?!" Reed cried as he was pulled back into the elevator. Grabbing Jean by the shoulders he spun the woman around to face him, Jean expression was a stricken one. She continued to try and pull him further into the elevator, but he wouldn't budge. The onyx door had now completely opened, there was nothing she could do to close it back up again, not now that which was held inside had found its desired target. What little control Phoenix had over her managed to destroy all her efforts to keep him and the world safe. "Please, Reed, I can't - I can't explain it -" She lowered her head.

"I think you better try," Reed replied seriously. All Jean could do was shake her head, tears flowed freely from her eyes. The world was suddenly thrown off its axis. Reed's feet were pulled from under him, Jean gasped when the sleeves of his jacket were ripped her grasp. Reed cried out in pain when his stomach made contact with the ground, he bit down on his tongue hard as he was pulled across the floor. Jean ran after him, stumbling as she pushed against the invisible force in her way. Jean dived onto the ground and grabbed onto both his hands trying to slow their momentum down with her telekinesis, but to no avail. Reed was torn from her grip as he was pulled upward and thrown into the darkness. Jean laid on the ground in complete and utter shock as the door closed.

And in a similar fashion, Jean was pulled back into the elevator and watched helplessly as the door closed before her. "You shouldn't have done that," Jean spoke barely above a whisper.

Grey's darker persona stood before her, long red hair cascading around her face. Lowering her self to Jean's level, the Phoenix reached up and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "Did you really think you could stop me from letting out your dirty little secret?" Phoenix answered flatly. Sitting down next to the distraught woman, she gave Jean's shoulder a slap. "I've been dying to meet this guy, he sounds like my kind of fun."

* * *

Reed was missing for a total of two and half weeks, now. The only means of tracking him was in his uniform, and, he, unfortunately, was not wearing it. And as if the entire world sensed that their leader was missing, crimes around New York and Manhattan began to escalate. Trying to keep Reed's absence from the media was even harder, especially when they showed on the scene of disaster without him. Johnny had suggested making a Reed-Bot, something akin to a 'Buffy-Bot', without the sexpot capabilities. Sue shot the idea down with pointed glare.

The ideal of a machine of a lesser intelligence (and far too peppy for its own good), as a stand in for her husband disgusted Sue to no end. The Fantasticar was a great help when it came to searching widespread areas, but without a proper location, they might as well have been looking for a speck of dust on a window. Within the second week the remaining team had exhausted all resources that came to mind, Reed was still missing and Sue was at a loss as to what to do next...

* * *

Sue laid in their bed, fingering her wedding ring idly, as she stared hopelessly at pictures of herself and Reed in the photo album she retrieved from the top drawer. Outside the bedroom she could hear an ongoing conversation between Ben and Alicia. Johnny had flown out half an hour ago, with urge to clear his head, though she knew it was because he didn't want to see the emotional-wreck his sister had become. Sue couldn't blame him for it either.

Suddenly there was a muffled vibrating from under her pillow. Sue didn't pay any attention to it at first, she continued to turn the pages in the album, absorbing every-detail of Reed's face - her fingers traced the pictures longingly. The cell phone rang again, this time her hand paused on the edge of the folder, her eyes moved toward her pillow as the next volley of ringing occurred. Her hand shot under the pillow, yanking the phone from under it she flipped it open and held it close to her ear. "Reed?" She almost yelled. Her only response was the howling wind and something being dragged across a rough surface. She tried again. "Reed, are you there? Are you okay?"

" _Sue?"_ Reed blurted, sounding as anxious, if not a little groggy. Sue breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh God, Reed, have you been? You've been gone for over two weeks!" Sue proclaimed, close to tears. There was a stretch of silence before she received answer. " _I - what? Two weeks?"_ He repeated, the confusion in his voice was evident.

" _Yes,_ Reed, two weeks! Do you have any idea, what you've put me through!" Sue yelled into the phone. The invisible woman did not look up to acknowledge the presences of Ben and Alicia as they entered the bedroom. Alicia joined her on the bed, her face etched with worry. Ben kneeled down in front Alicia but locked gazes with Sue. "Is that egghead?" He whispered. Sue nodded her head.

" _Sue, how can that be? I-"_ Reed trailed off, Sue could practically hear the wheels in his head turning. Rising up from the bed she ventured over the balcony, biting down on her fingernail. "Reed, w-where are you? Please, just tell me," She pleaded. The dragging sound returned echoing over their connection, Reed's breathing was heavy and shallow. " _The last thing I remember is falling asleep and waking up_ …" Reed answered _. "I think I'm in Canada…"_ Reed stammered. " _I'm in Canada…"_

"What?!" Sue screeched into the receptor.

* * *

Reed was sure that he had gone deaf in his left ear after Sue's outburst. He rubbed the sore lobe wishing there was something he could to keep it from throbbing on the inside. He sat on a large boulder, his arms wrapped around himself in a futile attempt to fight back the biting cold that saw to it that he was miserable. Looking out on the Alkali Lake, now flowing free and unhindered by the destroyed dam, Reed could feel the control he asserted upon himself everyday slipping through his fingers.

None of this made any sense, the very last thing he remembered was falling asleep next to Sue, maybe even the vague memory of her lips pressing against his neck. The next thing he knew, he was waking up in a fetal position on the ground in the middle of nowhere. How did he end up all the way in Canada? In the very place he had no memory of being found the last time? The Fantasticar was still in New York, there weren't any other signs of transportation either. Sue was probably plotting his death right now if she wasn't overcome with worry.

Even worse, he was wearing nothing but a pair of flannel pajama pants and a T-shirt. He felt more than a little exposed despite being in the wilderness. A spike of pain ran up the side of his head, he moaned pressing a hand against his head as it began to throb. Tremors wracked his body and robbed him of what little warmth he had left in him. The buzzing in his head was gradually building up in strength again, however, there was only one voice clawing at his head this time. It came in loud and clear.

"Did she think she could keep me locked up forever?"

Reed tensed, there was a strange sense of familiarity resonating through him.

"I'm going to get out,"

The skin of the scientist's neck tingled, Reed leapt off the boulder like he had been bitten. Stumbling backward across the stony terrain towards the water, his heels teetered on the edge of land that was untouched by the fury of the lake's waters. The pressure in his head had exceeded his level of tolerance, he sank to his knees bending over so that his head met the cool surface of stone. Every inch of him was on fire, his muscles tightened and spasmed so much he feared they would tear, but his hands remained latched to the side of his head applying pressure in retaliation to the pain. A trickle of blood ran down from his nose, the taste of copper entered his mouth. Reed bit down hard on his lip, he let out a cry of pain as a greater wave of pain assaulted him.

"I'm going to get out,"

Reed felt the blood in his veins grow cold at the genderless voice's words full of promise. There was a sharp pain spread through the back of his head, Reed's eyes rolled the back of his head. He slumped over on his side, his body going lax. The wind howled loudly around him as the lake's waters began to churn violently. "… and your going to help me,"

* * *

"What do you mean, your in Canada? Reed, how did you end up in _Canada?_ " Sue's voice wavered between angry and worried. She paced the room awaiting his answer with impatience.

"Sue… I don't - I **really** don't know," Reed insisted wearily. "I don't remember anything."

"But you remembered enough to bring your cell phone with you?" She replied harshly.

"I… Sue, I don't- could you just get here, please?" He pleaded, resigned. "You can yell at me later." Sue felt the burning in her stomach dissipate, she glanced toward Ben tapping her wrist, mouthing the words 'Call Johnny'. Ben nodded his head, turning on his heel he hurried out of the bedroom towards the living room. "Fine, just stay put," Sue said, before closing her phone.

Shoving the cell phone into her pants pocket she proceeded around the bed. Alicia followed her out into the hall. "Is Reed okay?" She asked. Sue pressed a hand to her head unsure how to answer the question. The truth always helped but she wasn't sure how to explain Reed's behavior to Alicia, though she was sure her friend heard some of their conversation.

"I'm not sure. He doesn't even remember leaving the Baxter Building, Alicia," Sue said. Alicia placed a reassuring hand on Sue's forearm as they entered the living room. "I'm sure he'll be fine once you bring him home," She assured her. Sue smiled in agreement, but shouldn't shake the unyielding dread that continued to grip her.

"Ben, have you got a hold of Johnny?" Sue asked. Ben lowered the phone from his 'ear' with a grin. "He's on his way, should be here any minute now," Benjamin answered. "Right, I'll go prep the Fantasticar. Ben, let me know when Johnny get's here," Sue ordered. "Not a problem Suzie," Ben answered as the woman stalked off towards the elevator with renewed determination.

* * *

**(TBC)**


	3. Occurance

Johnny sat dejectedly in the right seat of the Fantasticar, watching the back of Sue's head as her hair whipped wildly in the wind, like a carefree scarf. If it weren't for the predicament Johnny could imagine Sue would be wearing a smile and a pair of sunglasses akin to that of Susan Sarandon's. Casting a wary glance over the side of the Fantasticar he watched the landscape below with mild interest, he squinted his eyes every time they focused on a body of water illuminated by the sun. They had gotten past the Canadian boarder thanks to Sue focusing her powers on the Fantasticar and their respective bodies. No one would notice them in the air and as a bonus, Johnny had finally gotten to fly the Fantasticar for a while, to Ben's disappointment. Now Johnny sat in the middle of the vehicle while Ben remained in his designated seat in the back. "How exactly, do we plan on finding him?" Johnny inquired over the roar of the engine. "I don't think the GPS is gonna work this far out, even if he has his phone."

"I've got a hunch about where he is," Sue replied never taking her eyes off the world ahead of her.

"Which is?" Johnny insisted.

Sue resisted the temptation to turn her head whilst answering her little brother's question and glanced down at the GPS screen to check their position. "The Alkali Lake," She said. Johnny's eyes blinked rapidly at the absurdity of the answer he received. The Alkali Lake was where Reed had told him the X-men found him, just a year ago. While it made sense to look there first, Johnny doubted Reed would be in the same place. "And if he's not there?" Johnny asked. Sue was unable to give her brother an answer, she really hadn't thought that far ahead of herself.

"We can't possibly search all of Canada, Sue. We aren't exactly here with permission 'ya know," Ben pointed out. "Well, in that case he better be there, huh?" Sue said tightly. The trio fell silent as the Fantasticar continued to scope the terrain for their missing comrade. They hovered above the earth for what felt like forever to Johnny. The chill of the air had his body working overtime to keep warm, he could feel himself drifting in and out of a fitful sleep. Just as he moved to slouch in the chair to get some proper rest, the Fantasticar lurched forward then downward throwing Johnny forward in his chair. He caught himself with his hands, Johnny clutched the controls of his car for dear life. His stomach churned slightly trying to recollect its passiveness. In the corner of his eye he watched as a tree fell behind them. "Sue, what the hell!" Johnny bellowed.

"The GPS just picked up Reed's signal!" Sue exclaimed, excitedly. Apparently she didn't notice the tree crying  _"Timber!"_  behind them.  _'Sorry Johnny, didn't mean to almost kill you'_ Johnny glared scornfully at his sister's back, shaking his head in irritation. His body leaned to the left as the vehicle swerved and descended. The Fantasticar came to a stop beside the Lake's edge. Sue scanned the area frantically for a sign for her husband when she spotted the prone figure half over the edge of land. Sue leapt from the car followed closely by Ben and Johnny, she dashed across the terrain as far as her cramped legs would allow. Johnny reached Reed first, the fies surrounding his body vanished in a dance of swirls. He pressed two fingers to the prone man's neck. Reed reacted immediately, he twitched under his touch bringing a hand up to swat Johnny away. "Hey, Reed, you okay?" Johnny inquired.

Reed raised his head slightly his eyes at half mass. "Johnny … that you?" He slurred. "Yep," Johnny grinned in response, his sister dropped down next to him. "How ya, doin'?" Johnny prodded further. Reed lowered his head to the ground with pained grunt. "I feel like I've been hit by a truck," He groused. Sue grabbed a hold of Reed's shoulder. Reed's body radiated with pain, he tried to curl in on himself but his body wouldn't budge from its position. He winced trying to shrug Sue's hand off his shoulder. Sue fought back her tears at the sight of his shuddering body. "Reed, what happened?" She cried. Before Reed could answer, Ben's large hands grabbed a hold of him and pulled upright. Reed bit back a string of curses, pain coursed through his body, he shot a pitiful glare towards his friend who stood behind him. To his credit, Ben sent an wordless apology to the scientist before saying, "I had to do it," He grumbled. Reed bit the edge of his mouth as yet another tremor shot through him, he sucked in a pained breath, his vision starting to blur. "Reed?" It was Sue again. He looked up at his wife with something of an inquiring expression gracing his face. "I don't - I don't remember." Reed shut his eyes. "I would really like to get - o-out o-of he-ere."

Sue nodded. "Can you stand?" She asked. "I think so," He said. Reed leaned forward pulling his legs up, his feet pressed down hard on the ground, his toes spread accordingly. Working against the pain, Reed, with the assistance of Johnny and Sue, gradually pushed himself into an standing position. A bark of laughter escaped him as he watched the world tilt on its axis again, he felt Sue's hand against his chest though rarely registered her coaxing words. "I think, I'm goin' to…," He never got to finish his sentence, he slumped forward and it took all of Sue's strength not to fall over as she wrapped her arms under his. She stumbled back a bit as she turned to face her brother. "Johnny, you drive. Ben, give me a hand with him," Sue struggled to speak. Johnny ran ahead of the others, barely concealing his excitement. He leapt into the front seat, reaching over he pressed the correct combination of buttons before turning the key in the ignition.

Ben moved forward and pull Reed out of Sue arms, throwing the man over his shoulder Ben stomped over to the Fantasticar. He placed Reed in right chair of the middle seat, the scientist's head lolled to the side. The roar of the engine echoed off into the forest, Johnny felt his hands shaking as he gripped the controls. glancing over his shoulder he caught sight of his sister as she climbed into the middle seat. Now would've been a great time for mock-sarcastic remarks about driving safely, anything to break the tension building up around them. "Get us out of here, Johnny," Sue grounded out buckling herself in. Reaching over she pulled the belt over Reed's unconscious form fastening the buckle. Her stomach lurched as the Fantasticar began its ascension, her fingers slid away from the belt buckle and latched onto Reed's hand like her life depended on it.

_What had happened since she had spoken with him?_

* * *

Johnny got them out of Canada and back to New York without incident, something for which Sue would be eternally grateful for. He parked the Fantasticar in the hangar and climbed out of the drivers seat eager to stretch his limbs. His eyes wandered over to his sister who skillfully avoided his gaze as she unbuckled Reed, proceeding to wrap her arms around his waist. "Uh, Sue, you better let me -," Sue ignored Ben as pushed herself up and sat down on the edge of the car. Casting a look over her shoulder she swallowed hard and fell back. Ben and Johnny rushed to stop her fall, they drew back when their legs bumped up against one of her shields. Sue's back met her shield with only mild discomfort, Reed's body weighted down on her, creating most of the tension. He barely stirred despite the closeness of his wife.

Without request Ben pulled the malleable body out of her grasp once again, throwing him over his shoulder. Sue manipulated her shield to fit the shape of her body, she tilted it upward until her feet touched the ground and she was standing up. The three ventured away from the Fantasticar, up the ramp that lead them to yet another elevator which took them to the hall of their apartment. Sue was the first out of the elevator, Ben followed her into the center of the living room and laid Reed onto the couch. For the first time since she found him, Sue noticed the ugly bruises trailing up Reed's left arm, neck, and ankle. "Where do you think happened to him?" Johnny asked, his hands gripping the top of the couch. He titled his head, his eyebrows raising at the severity of the bruises. "Maybe he was kidnapped?" Ben offered lamely.

"From the  _Baxter Building?_ " Johnny was incredulous. Ben could only shrug, silently agreeing that the idea was an absurd one. Sue's face was impassive, her eyes wandered around the room looking for something to stare at. She had no plausible answers that would satisfy their questions. Reed's lack of explanation divided her raging emotions; Part of her wanted to believe Reed was truly as lost as they were when it came to his disappearance. The other part wanted to believe he was lying, hiding something from them. It was the first thing that came to mind before the rational side of her took over. A moan escaped the prone body lying on the couch. Lowering herself on the edge of the couch she fingered his neck lightly, he raised an arm to slap her hand away at the touch of her fingers against his throbbing neck.

Sue waited for another reaction but received none, Reed rolled onto his side and fell still afterward. Frowning she turned her back to him stuffing her hands down between her legs. She turned to her brother, her expression a little softer. "Johnny, can you get me the first aid kit, and a washcloth for Reed, please?" She said. Johnny nodded without hesitation and headed off. Sue watched his retreating back until it vanished from sight, she exhaled heavily. Her chest swelled with a wave of emotions she had been trying to hold back. Her lips quivered, her vision blurred with tears.

Ben knew she had asked Johnny to leave for his sake as much as her own, apparently ashamed to cry in front of her brother. Ben stepped past the coffee table, he lowered himself into a crouched position with a sigh. "You know Reed's gonna be alright, Suzie," Ben stated firmly. Bitter laughter bubbled out of her throat, she lowered her head to hide the tears that ran down her face. "…Yeah, I know, Ben," She sobbed. "I know, I'm overreacting. I can't help but …. worry about him. I mean, what could've happened? What did this to him?" Sue paused to take a shuddering intake breath, her arm whipped at her face furiously. "He says, he doesn't remember leaving our bed, he doesn't remember how he ended up in _Canada_ , for love the God. What I am -" Sue bit her lip, hiccupping.

Johnny returned with the first aid kit and a damp rag in time to catch the last of Sue's broken rambling, he stopped half way into the living room, his curiosity peeked as he stood there watching his sister struggle to pull herself together. Masking the concern with an almost-natural smirk he proceeded into the living room. "Hey, I got the stuff you asked for," He announced. The smile on Johnny's face was a forced one, if Sue noticed, she didn't say anything. Rising from the chair she crossed the short distance between them. She reached for the first aid kit, Johnny gladly relinquished it and the wash cloth. "Thank you, Johnny," She said.

* * *

Ben had ordered Sue to bed after staying with her for over six hours in the living room. She had tended to Reed's less than superficial injuries; Naturally, she relented against his request but Ben was quick to remind her that she was no good to her husband if she was exhausted. Sue left, albeit grudgingly. Johnny was quick to make an exit, his excuse being wanting to 'blow off some steam'. Ben made sure the unconscious man was comfortable as he could be on a couch. The swelling in his neck had gone down considerably thanks to the washcloth Johnny had fetched, Reed's breathing sounded less constricted now.

Ben spent the rest of his afternoon watching television with the volume on mute, there wasn't much on, so he opted to watch the news. After half an hour of trivial news and reports of strange weather anomalies occurring Canada and the UK, Ben turned the television off. Leaning back in his chair, he stared down at his feet, counting his toes. "Man, I gotta do something," He said. Rising from the chair he moved out of the living room into the kitchen, hoping the preparation of a sandwich would distract him. He moved about the kitchen with more ease than he had a year ago, it was easier to grab things now without crushing them. They even customized a few kitchen items just for him.

While Ben busied himself with his sandwich, Reed began to wake on the couch. He rolled onto his back careful not to agitate his bruises, though he was sure there was some sort of painkiller running through his veins. Pulling his arms back he pressed the palms of his hands down on the couch and proceeded to push himself upright. Immediately, pain seared through his entire body. He bowed his head, gritting his teeth as he threw his legs over the side and continued to push himself off the couch. A whimper escape him, his arms began to tremble under his weight. Steadying himself he pushed himself forward and he stood upright, the room spun violently, his stomach lurched with equal force. Reed could feel his throat struggling to push down whatever what managed to stay in his stomach.

Bolting forward, Reed stumbled to his way into the hall using the wall for support. Grabbing the wall he swung himself into the bathroom and promptly fell onto his side. Reed ignored the pain and pulled himself toward the toilet. The door slammed shut behind him, he flinched at the sound of the mirror shattering above him. Leaning forward he allowed his stomach to press in on itself and relieve him of its contents. The sound of his own gagging made him writhe, he tried desperately to block out of his agony, attempting to focus on the soothing voice in his head.

_Yes, yes, that's right. Focus on my voice, allow me control._

Reed winced as the pressure that built up inside him released itself on its own accord, a dizzying sense of pleasure washed through him. Suddenly he felt detached from his body, watching through his own eyes as his bathroom was demolished by an invisible force.

_See how easy that was? Don't fight me, Reed. Submission is relief, isn't it?_

Reed gritted his teeth against the pain in his abdomen, his stomach tightened one last time and he heaved up blood. His throat burned terribly, he tried to close it up but another bout of bile forced it open. Reed gripped the sides of the toilet praying the pain in his head and stomach would stop. The buzzing in his head grew louder as it continued to release its pent up energy through his body. It was the last thing he felt before he blacked out.

* * *

Ben had dropped the jam when he saw Reed stumble up from the couch. He wasn't sure why he didn't move into the living room and see to the scientist right that second, he figured it was the shock of seeing him up so soon. But as soon as Reed moved away from the couch, Ben found himself tripping over himself to get out of the kitchen to Reed, who had already made his way into the hallway. Running full tilt made the floor shudder under his weight, but his mind was solely focused on getting to his friend before he hurt himself.

Just as he neared the door it slammed in his face, Ben was reeling. Reed was nowhere near the door and it had closed, locked him out even! He tried the door knob, the door wouldn't budge. "Ben, what's going on?" He turned and found Sue standing in the doorway of the bedroom she shared with Reed. Ben opened his mouth to answer, but the sound of Reed's gagging had Sue at his side instantly. She banged on the door furiously calling out to her husband over his gagging and vomiting. "Reed!  _Reed!_ " Sue shouted. There was no response, stepping back she gestured to the door with a dismissive hand. "Ben break the door down!" Ben took the order without hesitation, stepping back he raised his leg and thrust it forward. The Thing's foot splintered the door throwing it off its hinges, it slid mercilessly across the floor. Suddenly the bathroom exploded in a fury of plaster and glass. Sue screamed inadvertently as the dust and broken pieces of tile came rushing out the bathroom door. Sue raised her shield quickly, the dust billowed around it, while the broken tile shattered into tinier pieces upon impact.

The terrible sound of the bathroom's foundation being destroyed put the two on edge, swallowing her fear Sue lowered her shield and jumped into the fray. She winced as pieces of tile sliced through her skin and clothing, she trampled across the bathroom door. Reed sat on the floor in front of the toliet, he sat unmoving, as though unaffected, as the foreign energy continued to poured out of him. Sue wrapped a arm around his chest and was almost sent reeling from the burst of energy that hit her head on, yet she held on tight. Ben grabbed a hold of her and charged out of the room, rounding the corner he ran until they were in the safety of Reed and Sue's bedroom.

Sue screamed when the lamps shattered suddenly, Ben ducked behind the end of the bed dropping Sue to the ground. Pulling herself off the ground she pressed her back against the mattress, positioning Reed so that he sat between her legs. The walls around them began to crack along with the headboard of their bed. Sue felt the strange energy coursing through her arms when Reed twisted in her grip, stiffling a moan of pain.

Sue's heart clenched up, the awful realization hit her like the mysterious energy had. She shook his convulsing body furiously in hopes that he would come out of whatever trance he had fallen into. "…Reed, please, answer me!" She bellowed. "You've got to stop this!"  _Whatever this is!_  And as if hearing her plead, Sue felt Reed's chest swell as he gasped and the muscles in his back tightened. He slumped against her, breathing shallowly. At the same time the world around them went silent, the tremors which had shaken the area had ceased completely. Ben's eyes cased the bedroom in shock, his eyes moved to Sue who looked just as shocked as he did, if not mortified. "R-Reed?" Sue ventured cautiously.

"Sue?" He responded quietly, daring not to strain his burning throat. Sue breathed a sigh of relief at the sound of his voice. Sue allowed him to move away from her, her arm tingled at the memory of the energy that had touched her. Once Reed turned to face her, she watched him with a strange sense of concerned curiosity. Adding onto the strange bruises mingled with bandages, were fresh little cuts covering every part of his body unprotected by clothing. His lips were caked with dying blood and he looked pale.  _What happened to you, Reed?_  She wondered. He sat himself down his knees ignoring the faint tremors that still assaulted him, he winced when Sue's hands cupped his face. Her mouth wasn't moving, yet he could hear and feel everything that projected from her very being. It was …  _amazing_.

… _Submission is relief._

And maybe it was.

* * *

Ben felt like a lurker in the shadow of Sue and Reed Richards. This time though, it wasn't because of the way he looked. Leaning on the examination table, Ben watched as a shirtless Reed shifted uneasily on the cold surface picking at the oscilloscopes attached to his head. His entire body was a bruise; There wasn't a patch of skin on him that wasn't covered in the loving embrace of purple or yellow, his back looked the worst. Sue stood across from them, looking over a sheet of paper as it was fed from out of the machine, her hair pulled back in a untidy pony tail. Left behind in their wake was a seriously damaged bedroom and a demolished bathroom, they would have quite the story to tell when Johnny returned from his jaunt on the town. Both Reed and Ben noticed how reframed Sue had become after the dust had settled, she barely said a word to them after tending to Reed's new cuts. Afterward, despite Reed's desperate plea for sleep, Sue had ushered him into the lab demanding to know what was wrong with him.

He couldn't give her answers he didn't have, so she planned on finding out herself. Reed's body ached worse than before, after Sue was done prodding him. Ben gave Reed a nudge with his shoulder, Reed responded with a turn of his head. "You feeling alright?" Ben asked. Reed shook his head. "I feel dizzy, and my head still hurts," He answered. He was so tired of saying that. Ben gave a understanding nod and said no more on the issue. Reed's eyes wandered lazily around the lab, he felt a hand rest itself on his leg, he moved his gaze away from the wall and focused on Sue. "Well, I've got some bad news," She announced smoothly.

Both men blanched, Sue took their silence as a motion to continue. "Your brain activity is … normal as can be. Your vital stats haven't changed, radiation levels are at zero," The look on Sue's face could not be properly described as devastated or irritated, which puzzled him.  _Shouldn't she be happy about this?_  He thought, concerned. "Besides your erratic heart beat and these bruises, I can't find anything wrong you," Reed studied Sue's clenching jaw carefully, as it was usually a sign of a tantrum. "How is that bad news?" Reed asked, curiously. Sue scoffed with a shake of her head. "Its bad news, because its means there's nothing wrong with you, when there obviously is!" She exclaimed.

"Well, did you ever think that it wasn't me?" Reed responded. He really didn't want to fight with her, but given his current state he wasn't willing to take a verbal beating. "Reed, I felt what destroyed the bathroom, our bedroom! It was coming from you!"

"How is that possible?"

"I don't know -!"

" _So_ , what did cause the, um, damages then? The repairs are gonna cost us a lot, ya' know?" Ben interrupted. "It would be nice to know who's getting bill." Both Reed and Sue glared at Ben, who promptly looked in the other direction. She shrugged, her lips becoming a fine line. "I dunno, but I want to try one last thing." Sue strode across the lab in search of a object that would generate the desired effect when she used it. Grabbing up a glass jar she studied it carefully, rotating it. "What are you gonna with that?" Ben inquired. Sue bounced on one foot and shrugged. She wouldn't answer them, pulling her arm back she tossed the mason jar towards her husband. It spun wildly through the air like a hurtling rock, Ben raised a hand knowing it would shatter on impact. Reed started to scramble off the table, acting purely on self-preservation, when the mason jar came to a halt mere inches from his face. Like she had expected, the monitor let off a high-pitched screech, the needle on the paper twitched wildly from side to side.

Reed's eyes widened, Ben was just as astonished. The mason jar trembled under the stress the invisible force was exerting on its fragile body, it shattered. Reed squeezed his eyes shut as he ducked under the table, his mind calculated how slow he was going and how much pain he would be in once the glass embedded itself in his skin, gouging out his eyes in the process. Sue raised a shield in front of the cowering scientist.

She was able to stop it from hitting him, the rest of the mason jar's shards made themselves comfortable on the ground. Reed's face was contorted with pure unadulterated pain, which only seemed to make the monitor go off even more. Sue was at his side immediately, Reed pressed his hand against his forehead. Sue watched him worriedly, she went too far this time to prove her point. "…I'm sorry," Sue said. Reed opted not to respond and sat in silence, while she proceeded to removed the oscilloscopes from his body.

"Well, look on the bright side Reed," Ben said.

" _The bright side_ , Ben?" Reed repeated with a wince.

"Your telekinetic," Ben grinned.

* * *

**(TBC)**


	4. Introspectre

Frankie Raye sat outside  _Gina's Café_  with a look of utter disdain. Two months ago, Frankie was highly convinced that she was ready for a relationship with the hot-headed  _Human Torch_ , Johnny Storm. The thought of taming his devil-may-care attitude never entered her mind in the least, it was apart of his charm and appeal. To lose that would be to lose half of Johnny. It was simply something she had to live with and she was fine with that. At the present moment, however, having not seen nor heard from Johnny for two months, Frankie allowed the doubt of their relationship being able to work to enter her mind.

She called the Baxter Building every other day, to see if he was around, the only person who ever picked up was their computerized receptionist, Margie, who was quick to inform that Johnny was absent and would be gone for quite a while. If Frankie didn't know any better, the program had a thing for her boyfriend. After more missed calls on his cell phone than she could count, Frankie gave up trying to call him altogether. It was apparent that Johnny had gotten cold feet, an expected reaction from someone like him. He would probably forever fear a serious relationship beyond flirting and holding hands. Then, one day,  _completely_  out of the blue, Johnny called her.

He explained to her that he was dealing with a family crisis and never really got a chance to call her up. He asked if she was willing to meet him at  _Gina's Café_  at 3:00pm that afternoon, in hopes to mend between them. Wanting to give him a second chance, Frankie agreed to meeting him at the relatively small café. That was four hours ago. Frankie arrived at time they agreed, Johnny never showed. It was now 5:55pm, Frankie was still waiting. Downing the last of her coffee like a beer, she grabbed her purse off the table. As she rose from the chair she caught the familiar body of fire dying out as the figure approached her at top speed. Frankie stepped back a couple inches, Johnny skidded to a halt nearly stumbling over the cuffs of his pants in the process. "Frankie, I'm sorry I'm so late, family business," He breathed, wincing. Frankie stood before him like an erect statue, she slipped back into her military persona and eyed Johnny like a sergeant eliminating the weakest link of his squadron.

Johnny took her scrutiny at face-value, he deserved most of it after all. After he left the Baxter Building, he spent most of his time drifting around the skies, allowing his mind and body to wander as he had no true destination. He only just remembered his intentions to meet Frankie at the café when he spotted a Victoria's Secret  _Angels_  billboard ad featuring retired model, Daniela Peštová. "Funny," Frankie said with sigh. "Ben said you left a couple hours ago. Where were you?" Johnny winced.  _Damnit. Leave it to Ben to spill the beans_. "I was blowing off steam," Johnny declared in a rather dismissive tone. "Flying around. I lost track of time, it happens." Frankie nodded stiffly, sinking her teeth into the edge of her bottom lip. Johnny flinched when her hands patted his chest, reaching up he took a hold of her wrists. She was angry and it was going to take some major groveling to get her to forgive him. "Frankie, give me a chance to make it up to you. I promise it'll be -"

"'A date I'll always remember'," Frankie finished for him. Johnny clamped his mouth shut in embarrassment. Leaning in closer he smiled. "Do I say that a lot?" He asked. Frankie closed the distance between them, her lips nearly brushing his. " _Maybe_ ," Frankie breathed. She smelled like java. His blue eyes wandered downward, admiring her figure draped in a lightweight, knee length dress. "May I just say that you look absolutely  _sexy_  in that dress?" He murmured. Franker grinned. "You already have," She answered monotonously. She watched with satisfaction as Johnny's eyes flared orange for a moment then simply nodded before pulled away. Johnny felt his lips itching for the kiss that never came and watched Frankie's retreating back with the utmost pleasure. "Are you mad at me?" He called after her.

"Yes!" Frankie replied.

_Bummer,_  Johnny bowed his head in defeat. "When can I see you again?"

"I'll give you a call," Was Frankie's reply.

"How about tonight?" Johnny asked hopefully.

"Nope. I'll let you know," And with that she hailed a taxi. Johnny watched with downed spirits as the woman climbed into the car without casting a glance in his direction. The taxi pulled away from the curb, speeding down the road. Standing there in the middle of the sidewalk, Johnny felt as big as an ant.

* * *

Reed's eyes twitched accordingly when the beam of the flashlight focused into them. He resisted the urge to squint as the light moved back and forth. Sue watched her husband's eyes water and struggle to stay open, he continued to follow the light without complaint. They had been in the lab a total of two hours now, Ben wandered off complaining of boredem and watching television. There wasn't much he could in the lab, Sue was keeping Reed preoccupied well enough without his help. Sue turned the flashlight off, Reed's pupils retracted to their normal size as he shied away from her touch. She stepped back giving him the needed space he deserved, shifting her gaze towards the shards of broken glass that laid next to him on a tray.

Reed remained still for the longest time, staring at the back of his hands like they were the most compelling thing on the planet. When he looked up, Sue half-expected him to fling something at her, instead he pushed himself of the table and stood on his legs. The flashlight drummed against the palm of her hand nervously, her teeth sank into her lip. Reed was standing a little straighter now, his hands slid down his sides automatically before remembering his pajama pants had no pockets. He forced himself to lock gazes with Sue, he grinned. "So, I guess I'm telekinetic. That's new," Reed tried to sound casual, but she could hear the utter confusion and fear in his voice. She couldn't blame him, she honestly felt horrible about throwing the mason jar at his head, it was no way to prove a point.

"So it would seem," Sue answered quietly, stuffing the flashlight into her shirt pocket. Reed reached up to touch his throbbing forehead. Some glass had managed to get past her shield and cut his face right above his eye. Sue swatted his hand away from it quickly. "Don't irritate it, I just got it to stop bleeding," She admonished. "How's your headache?" Reed shrugged absentmindedly, his brow creasing. The pain in his head had decreased considerably, the whispers were merely an unreachable itch in the back of head, no longer mucking up his senses. It was a relief.

Rolling his eyes, he messaged the back of his neck with his left hand, it trembled as the muscles in his fingers tightened and relaxed accordingly. "Its better now. Could use some aspirin though," He said. Stepping out of the narrow space created by the desk and the examination table, Sue moved toward the floor cabinet. Leaning over she opened the cabinet and grabbed the first bottle of painkiller she spotted, _Extra Strength Tylenol_. She returned to his side, handing Reed the bottle with a nod of thanks. Popping the cap he removed two pills from the bottle, he swallowed them without water. He made a face, feeling the pills stick to his throat as he forced them down. "Thanks," He breathed.

The two stood next to each other, waiting for the other to say anything that would break the uncomfortable silence. Sue was more than willing to do so, if it got Reed talking about anything he could remember. However, there was the task of actually starting the conversation.  _The scientific approach always works,_  her mind offered. "What I don't understand is, why is this happening now? You think something like telekinesis would've shown up when your other ability did," She said pointedly. Reed messaged his forehead with another shrug. "I don't think this ability has anything to do with the storm cloud radiation. I think this has something to do with… my disappearance,  _I think_ ," Reed answered unsure. "Maybe the Negative Zone..."

"Reed, its been, what, a year, two years, since that happened?" Sue retorted. " _Two_ , since that fateful day. Who's counting?" Reed answered, just was testily. "It could be either one, but I'm banking on the most recent happening. There are studies that prove that some mutant powers develop later than others, regardless of age. Nothing's definite." Reed released the bottle from his hand and watched as it hovered above his palm, spinning like a top. He closed his fist over it in mid-spin, only to feel the bottle splitting against his skin. "What makes you think this new mutation is a result of the N-Zone?" Sue inquired wryly, shooting a look that clearly meant 'explain yourself'. Reed sighed heavily while his fingers ran through his tangled hair. "I don't really know how to explain it … its' just a feeling, that's all," He answered lamely. Sue reframed the urge to flatten her husband into a pancake. "Maybe a physical analysis would help? You did tell me once that you wanted to X-ray me," Reed suggested casually.

Sue gave her husband a perplexed expression that did nothing more than make him grin. Refusing to answer his highly suggestive comment, Sue moved from his side and made her way across the lab. Reed followed after her, ignoring the lightheadedness throwing his balance off again. He made it towards the stool she had pulled out for him without tripping over himself, he sat down on the stood with a sigh. Sue adjusted the machine so that it hovered in front of his chest, she glanced over at his fist and noticed for the first time he was still holding the bottle of Tylenol.

Reed followed her gaze until he reached his fist and set the bottle down on the counter behind him. Without a word Sue turned the x-ray one watching patiently as it got its information together, Reed focused on her painted fingernails glistening under the track lights in hopes it would distract him from the whirring of the machine. "Okay," Sue murmured to herself as the screen illuminated. At first glance nothing alarmed Sue. The thermal image of Reed's skull showed nothing out of the ordinary, nothing seemed off with his brain besides its unusual amount of activity. Lowering the scanner, she ignored the spots indicating where the bruises were located on his body and stopped on his chest. Sue's eyebrows raised in amazement at the sight before her.

"Reed, sweetheart?" Sue ventured slowly. "Yes?" Reed answered sleepily. "Could you come here?" Reed extended his neck upward and snaked past the monitor, Sue pointed to the x-ray with a worried look. "Did you know about this? Your lack of intestines, not to mention other important internal organs? There's just this bacterial stack in the middle of what used to be your stomach," Sue rambled. Reed blinked wearily then nodded. "Yeah, Jean, I mean, Dr. Grey explained the situation at the mansion," Reed mumbled squinting at the screen. Sue switched off the thermal scanner and back to standard, the result of that, to her relief, was the image of normal skeletal system. "Does that hurt?" Sue's voice snapped Reed's attention away from the scanner, startling him. Sue pressed her index finger against the bruise on his neck. The muscles in his neck twitched and his neck recoiled immediately back to its normal state. "Sorry," She apologized for the umpteenth time. Reed waved her apology off resisting the temptation to rub his now throbbing neck. "Its all right, that probably wasn't a good idea anyway," He responded sheepishly. Sue nodded her head whilst pushing her glasses back up on the bridge of her nose.

"So, are there any other changes, I should know about?" Sue inquired dyly. "I think I might need less sleep than most, but other than that, no," Reed answered dismissively. Sue nodded once more and returned her attention to the scanner. She examined Reed to the best of her and the machine's abilities, there was nothing wrong with him besides his injuries and even they had already begun to heal. When her eyes felt the strain from staring at the screen too long, Sue turned the machine off. Pushing it back to its normal position she strode over to Reed who was dozing in the stool, murmuring unintelligible nothings to himself. His right arm had elongated itself, it laid on the ground in a coiled heap, his left laid on his lap twitching.

Sue gave him a gentle nudge on the shoulder, Reed's eyes opened and his arm reacted to its normal state. "I wasn't sleep," Reed blurted, whipping the drool from his lips. Sue's eyes narrowed at the sight of the dried blood flaking away from his lips as he wiped them. She wanted to ask him if he was really alright but thought better against it. These were questions for latter. "You should get some sleep, you'll probably feel better," Sue sighed. Reed slid off the stool with a grunt of pain, as if his back couldn't hurt any worse. "I'll be in our bedroom -"

"Maybe you should sleep in my old room!" Sue interjected smoothly, grabbing his forearm. Reed opened his mouth to protest, Sue's old room was full of things he never found space for in the apartment, but another pointed look from his wife gave him other ideas. He obliged to her silent command and allowed her to lead him towards the semi-vacant bedroom.

* * *

_**(Westchester, New York):** _

* * *

Jean Grey sighed for the hundredth time that afternoon, her fingers messaged her temples warily as she looked over the essays on Vincent Van Gough. To her surprise, most of her students hardly knew of the man, the typos and misinformation gave Jean more than a few headaches. Nevertheless, most managed to come through on their part and handed in some stunning reports that took more than a few hours to read. Placing Kitty Pryde's essay onto the table, Jean rose from her seat and proceeded out of the classroom, she needed a little time to straighten her thoughts out. The halls echoed with the sounds of exuberant children and teenagers running about in every-which-direction. Years of experience taught Jean when to duck a flying discus or dodge a rowdy group of children.

Venturing towards the far corner near the stairs Jean pressed her hand against a loose panel on the wall. The wall slid back, revealing the elevator that would take her do the X-Men's personal Base of Operations. The elevator ride was a smooth one, yet Reed's dream made it an uncomfortable trip down memory lane. Ever since she had returned from Alkali Lake, barely escaping a watery death, Jean had been experiencing nightmares worse than the ones she suffered from before Stryker's attack on the mansion. Xavier believed that the increase in power of her telekinetic abilities were the cause of her nightmares, which worried him. And when Charles was worried, then the situation wasn't good. The migraines and lack of control of her power supported Xavier's theory, no contest.

But that wasn't the worst of their problems. The being that had called itself "Reed" had escaped the metnal prison she had placed him in. Granted, it was the first time Jean had ever tried locking a 'personality' into the subconscious of another mind, but it held for two years! Why on earth did it give way now, when everything was beginning to come together again? Jean was studious and kept a close eye on the scientist in New York. His behavior was, for the most part, completely normal.

It wasn't until the 'Silver Surfer' had arrived, that she began to notice fluxes in the mental blocks; especially when she recieved word from Tony Stark, that direct contact with the Surfer caused the superhero novice's to switch abilites. Acting out of panic, Jean created a link between herself and Richards, to monitor to the foundation of her mental block and renforce it whenever she thought it had become weakened. The irony of the entire situation was, the entity that called herself Phoenix, used this link to destroy her prison. It was the only possible explanation.

Presently, the omnipotent entity was docile, it had yet to make a move. Jean had yet to tell the others about the situation. Stepping off the elevator, Jean headed straight for Cerebro, it would give her a wider perspective on her problem. The professor and Scott would be absent for a few more hours, which was all the time she needed. The doors separated allowing her entrance, Jean walked calmly across the platform towards the control panel where Cerebro's helmet rested. Kneeling down Jean placed her hands on both sides of the helmet, she hesitated remembering the last time she had used it. Not exactly a pleasant experience. Swallowing, Jean slipped the helmet over her head.

Exhaling she surrendered her mind to the pull of Cerebro's power. A million voices and thoughts hit her all at once, she bit back against the bile creeping up her throat. Slowly began to single their voices and thoughts until one resonated in her head. Reed Richards, he was back in the Baxter Building, this was good. However, his mind was completely devoid of thought, all Jean could pick up on was his distress and confusion.

Probing further, she searched for Reed II's persona, she caught a trace of his wavelength before it vanished into the ether of Reed's mind. She felt a sharp stinging pain enter her mind for a moment, Jean winced at the needle sensation forcing its way into her mind. Exhaling she yanked the helmet from her head, she regarded its shape for one moment with nervous eyes before placing it back on the control panel, spooked.

Jean returned to the first level of the mansion just as Scott and the professor entered the hallway. A smile graced the face of her worrisome husband as she entered his line of sight, Jean tucked her hair behind her ear shyly at the sudden affection that was radiating through the mental bond she shared with Scott. "Ah, Jean, just the person I was looking for," Xavier stated warmly.  _Something the matter, Jean?_ Jean shook her head, as she paused next to the stairway.  _No, Charles, just had a rough morning in class concerning. Van Gough reports. Nothing to worry about,_  Jean lied smoothly.

There was a look in Xavier's sage blue eyes that made her believe he thought otherwise, but it lingered for only a second, then it was gone. "How was your trip?" Jean inquired leaning forward. Cyclops stepped from behind the professor's wheelchair and placed a kiss on Jean's lips. "Boring. Most in the Senate, didn't bother listening to our 'lectures' on equal rights and the opression of muants. They're hoping the Registration Act will be approved in three months at the  _very least_ ," The disdain was evident in her lover's voice. Jean's smile became a sad one, her hopes dwindling inside. Xavier, despite the obvious lack of support, was not so easily downed. "Yes, well, until then, we'll continue to meet with the Senate members until we are properly heard. In the meantime, how are things in the world?"

Jean sighed heavily, regaining control of her emotions. "So far, things on the Mutant front are relatively quiet. There were a few problems in New York in the wake of the 'Silver Surfer' incident, but Spider-Man or the Avengers - I can remember which - have taken care of it. Wolverine is in charge of the Danger Room sessions while Ororo's gone; She's currently in Africa, trying to persuade a Anti-Human movement to rethink their views on human society. Hank is handling the inner workings on revoking the Registration Act. Otherwise, everything is quiet. No known Human Terrorists - Anti-Mutant or otherwise - have made any real moves to against anyone," Jean explained, practically in one breath. Xavier and Scott nodded, processing the information given to them. Jean watched them, her painted finger nails tracing her warm arms. After a beat she looked up toward the professor. "Professor, I know this might seem awfully sudden … but, I was wondering if I could maybe take a vacation," Jean inquired.

"What? Jean, what about our -" Scott was silenced by the professor raising his right hand.  _Night together. Our anniversary…._  Cyclops finished in his mind, his face becoming stoic. Xavier gave his former student a quizzical look, Jean remained where she stood, her mental shields up. "There's a friend I need to see up in Manhattan, Enid Richards. I only need a week, and then I can return to the Mansion," Jean explained in a professionalist manner.

Xavier continued to study her features, searching for a tell that would let him in on her ulterior motive, but none came. Jean remained cool and complacent. "I see no reason why not, Jean," The professor responded finally. "You're a grown woman, you can come and go as you please. But, I shall hold you to your word. A week, at the very least." A smile broke out on Grey's face at the response. "Thank you, professor, I'll return as soon as possible…," Jean said as she sprinted away.

"Please, take your time! Its only a week's holiday after all. Cherish it!" The professor called after the woman as she vanished around the corner. Scott Summers, stood beside his former teacher, utterly heartbroken. How could she have forgotten their anniversary?  _Give her time Scott, I'm sure she'll remember soon enough,_  Xavier's reassuring voice echoed in his mind, but did nothing to quell the despair. With a stiff nod he left the professor's side. He went to see if Wolverine needed help in the danger room.

* * *

**(TBC)**


	5. Forces Unravel

When Johnny returned to the Baxter Building, he was not surprised to find the place in a state of silence.  _Sue must've called for a gag order_ , he thought ruefully. Despite the possibility of evoking his sister's fury, Johnny called out to his family. "I'm back! Sue? Ben?" He shouted as he ventured into the living room. Instinctively his eyes wandered to the couch where Ben had left Reed. Before he could wonder where his brother-in-law had 'wandered' off to, Sue sauntered into the living room pulling her hair out of its pony tail. As soon as she spotted her brother, her troubled gaze transformed into a glare. "Where have you been?" She inquired.

Johnny shrugged. "Meeting with Frankie, why?" He said, offhandedly. Sue suddenly looked less angry, she stalked toward him and grabbed his arm. Johnny allowed himself to be lead by the arm into the hallway. Johnny almost swallowed his tongue at the sight of the cracked ceiling above him, the hardwood floor covered with dust of crushed bathroom tile. Sue let go of his arm and headed over to the bathroom door, Johnny followed quickly after his sister. His reaction to the bathroom was the same, only his eyebrows knitted together in a mix of frustration and fear.

Had they been attacked while he was gone? "What - the hell happened, Sue?" Johnny proclaimed. Sue gave her brother a half-hearted shrug, her fingers playing with the frayed ends of her Shirt. "From what I gather, Reed woke up and did  _this_ ," She answered, turning around. "It's the same in our bedroom." Johnny did not wait for his sister to follow him as he ventured further down the hall, he heard her follow after him the moment his hand touched the door knob and push the door open. The crack in the ceiling of the bedroom was much more prominent than the one in the hallway. Even the head and footboard were split in half, he turned back to his sister with look of disbelief. " _Reed_  …did all that?" Johnny inquired slowly.

"Yes. Somehow, he's developed some kind of telekinesis…. I don't know how," Sue mused, mainly to herself. Johnny absorbed the information, yet found it hard to believe what his sister was telling him. It just didn't seem possible. Reed and Telekinesis were two halves of an equation that equaled  _I-m-p-o-s-s-i-b-l-e_. "And this is a recent development…?" Johnny checked. Sue shrugged again, brushing her hair out of her face. "Hard to tell. Reed says it is, he doesn't think its right either… but I dunno," The Invisible woman's brow furrowed in suspicion. Her brother watched her silently, his brow furrowed in confusion; When the hell did Reed learn how to kill things with his brain… of all things?

"What, you don't believe him?" Johnny inquired. "No, not really," Sue gave her brother a pointed look. Johnny knew what she was thinking when she did so but thought nothing of it. Reed wouldn't be as dumb as to repeat the same offense twice. Especially since this offense nearly destroyed him and their entire planet. He and Sue rekindling their relationship was a shining testament to that.

Sue stared ahead blankly for a another second before snapping herself out of her reflection. Eyebrows raised, she pointed down the hall to the door closest to the end of the hall. "He's in my old room, sleeping," She muttered. Johnny left his sister's side and ventured over to the door, peering into the room he found his brother-in-law sitting on window seat, his face pressed against the window - asleep. "What's he doing over there?" Johnny jumped at the closeness of his sister's voice, he whipped around to meet her blue eyes and glared. "A little warning, sis!" He retorted, placing a hand on his chest. Sue ignored him and hurried into the bedroom to her husband's side. Johnny watched with mild concern as she attempted to rouse him from his slumber.

He didn't see the harm in Reed sleeping on the window seat, besides the back pain, the bed was probably dusty. Just as he was opened his mouth to tell his sister to leave Reed in peace, the scientist woke up. Reed's face was a picture of irritation - the dark circles under his eyes, the haggard and the pallor his skin and unshaven face - the works. "Reed, why aren't you in bed, your supposed be-" Sue's voice drifted into the background.

Reed's eyes shifted toward Johnny, his gaze narrowed threateningly and the younger man's eyebrows rose in confusion. He waved half-heartedly to the weary man. "-Are you listening to me? Reed?" Sue's voice rose in volume. Reed turned back to his wife with a tired smile. "Yeah, yeah. I'll get into bed," He muttered sheepishly. Reed rose from the window seat with a yawn, his stretched his limbs without elongating them and climbed into the bed. Sue regarded his form, positioned from sleep, with a wary gaze before rising from the ground. "I'll check in on you later," She announced. Reed grunted in response, Sue ushered her brother out into the hallway, closing the door behind her.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Johnny inquired, "What's with him?"

"He's just tired and won't go to sleep," Sue said, throwing a glare at the door.

* * *

**(Earth-1610; Think Tank):**

* * *

Tony Stark (otherwise known as Iron Man of the Ultimates) regarded Reed Richards' crowded work space with curiosity. There was a time where his laboratory was like this; nothing was in its proper place, just somewhere his overcrowded mind could remember to pick it up when he needed it. His eyes swiveled over to the chair residing in the middle of the floor and the occupant who sat in it.

20-year-old Reed Richards was fast away at work, his mind troubled on how to utilize and harness the power of the cosmic cube (or Cuboid Volitional lattice), with the mounds of information left in his mind by the rebel fighter of Halcyon, Dreamcatcher. He intended to use it against beings like Thanos - a tyrant who sought to merge with the young scientist before his plans were thwarted. Beside him, Sue Storm sat on the arm of the chair, her body leaning leisurely against Reed as he went over complied information. Ben Grimm, Enid Richards, and Johnny Storm resided at the very end of the room, laughing at something on the theater sized HD television

"…are you taking a break? I miss you…," Sue purred in Reed's ear. A bout of laughter escaped Reed as he turned his attention away from the cube long enough to smile at his girlfriend. "What are you talking about, you've been with me all day, Sue," Reed interjected pointedly.

Tony watched with mild discomfort, as Sue leaned in and nibbled Reed's ear. "Yes, but, being with you and  _"being with you"_  are two totally different things, Reed," The blonde youth sighed. Reed's attention was now totally removed from his work, focused completely on Sue. Turning the chair around, he pulled Sue onto his lap and pressed his face against her neck. "Okay, now your just being n-" Iron Man cleared his throat loudly before the conversation could go any further.

Sue and Reed pulled away from each other quicker than two rabbits. Sue leapt from Reed's lap and attempted to regain her composure, while Reed took a couple deep breaths. "Mr. Stark, I-I didn't see you there," He stammered, his face red as a beet. Iron Man rolled his eyes. "I noticed," Stark muttered wryly. "Fury says you have something for me to see?" Reed nodded in the affirmative. Rising from the chair, he made his way over to the large plasma screen, Sue following close behind. Reed snatched the remote from Johnny and switched the cannel to the Video02 channel. Automatically, Johnny and Ben learned forward in anticipation.

"Hey! I was watching that!" Enid cried in protest.

"Not now, Enid," Reed rebuked, irritated. "Superhero business." The blond teen fell back against the couch, pouting. Reed spared his sister a brief glance before aiming the remote at a projector behind the couch. The image of the New York Skyline appeared. "About a year ago, something strange occurred over Chrysler Building here in Manhattan. Nothing really serious came of it besides time displacement. Sue pointed out once that I was in the laboratory for a week and for some reason, I thought only a hour had passed by…"

"An hour? How's that possible?" Iron Man interjected, bewildered.

Sue shrugged her shoulders casually. "Our best guess was that it was caused by the N-Zone," She answered. Iron Man watched the black clouds swirling above the skyscrapers with concern; He remembered being intrigued by the strange weather anomalies that were occurring two years ago, but he unthinkingly brushed it off as some experiment in power Ororo Monroe was performing. Tony never even bothered to ask the former S.H.E.I.L.D. affiliate's, the X-Men, if it was indeed her causing the storm-like conditions.

"The N-Zone? That Dimension you went to and nearly got yourselves killed in?" Iron Man inquired, stating the obvious.

At this particular moment, Ben decided to speak up. "I told our 'fearless leader' here that that Nihil character was trouble. He never listens," Ben grumbled, folding his arms across his chest.

"Nope. Not at all," Johnny seconded.

"I agree! Reed's such a stupid head!" Enid chimed.

"If your done with insulting me- (Enid, you weren't even there)!" Reed glowered at the three occupants on the couch, Enid blew a raspberry at her brother. With a groan, he resumed. " _Yes._  The dimension we speak of is in fact, the N-Zone and we believe it was responsible for the gaps in time and people's memories," Reed explained. "Naturally, Lieutenant Lumpkin blamed me for this incident, and wanted us to find a solution to the problem. A day later the time gaps just stopped on their own… I monitored the N-Zone for months after that… nothing ever came of it. There wasn't a single trace of the readings at all." The young scientist pinched the bridge of his nose warily. "You okay?" Sue inquired, quietly.

"Yeah, just that damn headache, again," Reed muttered.

Sue snatched the remote from her boyfriend's hand and changed skipped a chapter in the video. It now showcased a massive whirlpool forming underneath the Brooklyn Bridge, swirling fiercely beneath the unknowing citizens of New York. Now that he remembered. Ushering the dozens of civilians off the bridge until the situation could be controlled was no picnic. "…This happened, just a little over two months ago and this time we actually got a reading from N-Zone. To be precise, we got a reading from a dimension adjacent to the N-Zone," Sue said smoothly. Iron Man stared at the whirlpool with a blank expression. His eyes shifted over to the young biologist then back to the screen. "Are you  _serious?_ " Stark deadpanned.

"I'm afraid so, Iron Man," Reed answered reaching to for the remote. Sue playfully moved the remote from his grasp, the young man extended his arm and Sue relinquished her hold on the remote. "So, what does this have to do with anything?" Iron Man inquired, impatiently. "Other than the fact that our scanner picked up two readings from the N-Zone and its adjacent galaxy? Nothin' much, I guess," Reed answered sarcastically, adjusting his glasses. Iron Man ignored his sarcastic remark and nodded to the television. "What've you got?"

Mr. Fantastic aimed the remote at the television again, this time a display of map of their galaxy appeared. On it were two blinking lights, one situated in the galaxy next to the N-Zone, the other passing through the N-Zone, approaching the galaxy rapidly. If this was anything like the "Silver Surfer" incident, Reed's hide was going to be three shades of tanned when Nick Fury got done with him. "When did you plan on telling anyone about this?" Iron Man asked darkly.

"Soon as we ascertained the second signature's behavioral patterns. It doesn't seem to be heading towards us, Iron Man, but the anomaly in this dimension - oh, hang on…" Reed took a closer look at screen. Soon, Sue, Tony, Ben, and Johnny were joining him.

The energy signature suddenly shifted away from the its original target and started heading towards…  _them_. Reed's pupil's dilated in surprise just as the alarms began to sound. "Oh, Shit," Reed blurted, stretching above the others. "Its changed its direction!" He rolled across the ground, returning his normal length and rushed over to the main computer control panel. "What's going on Richards?" Iron Man shouted as he donned his helmet.

Reed ignored him, instead he began to type furiously on the keyboard, trying to initiate the Baxter Building's defense systems. Sue stood at the ready, her brown creased in that predatory fashion that made him shiver, Johnny hovered next to Ben, burning brightly, while the Thing fists were primed for attack. "Reed?" Tony shouted, his tempter emerging.

Lips trembling, Reed said, "N-near as I can tell, its headed in this direction! Oh, man, Fury's gonna have my ass for this!" The young man moaned in dismay as he initiated the final sequence for the building's defense systems.

"Never mind Fury, Dad's going to skin you first," Johnny interjected with a laugh. Reed ignored him, his gaze shifted towards his sister who looked more excited than afraid with all the commotion going on around her. "Enid, go find someplace to hide and stay there!" He commanded.

Instead of compliance, his sister placed her hands on her hips and frowned at him. "Forget that! Your not boss of m - _aaahhh!_ " Enid was blown across room towards Iron Man who caught her before she go any further. Sue employed her shield as soon as Johnny and Ben were behind her.

They watched the space Enid had once stood in become distorted as a black void appeared. Reed moved away from the control panel and joined the others, he cast an chiding expression in his dazed sister's direction before averting his attention to the now-curvaceous void. Another burst of energy was released, the feminine shape became solid and like a curtain rising from the stage, revealed a sleek gold, green-flecked body…

Iron Man watched through the lenses of his helmet as the light surrounding this "woman" died down. She was an obvious android of some kind, her body was smooth in appearance and so reflective, Iron Man could see the reflections of the buildings outside imprinted on her armor. She bore two diamond shaped jewels on her forehead and abdomen.

Out of instinct he contacted the other Ultimates and was counting the seconds down to their arrival. The being examined the six humans standing before her, raising her hand she pointed to the foursome. The fantastic four exchanged glances with each other, Reed stepped forward, his fists clenched. "Who are you?" He asked. The woman's yellow iris-less eyes seemed to shift to Reed, she smiled immediately and stepped forward. Sue steeled herself for attack the closer she got, the android reached out and touched the shield separating her from the humans. Sue felt a tremor go through her shield. It disappeared, Sue's eyes widened in fear. "Have no fear, I mean no harm to you or your planet…" The woman stated in airy voice.

"If your not here to destroy us, then what  _are_  you doing here?" Iron Man stated tersely.

"I am here in search of aid… the dimension you have been monitoring is under threat of destruction," She said.

"What's trying to destroy it?" Sue asked incredulously, ignoring Reed's warning glance.

"A missing fragment another reality's planet's mother creator…Phoenix,"

* * *

**(TBC)**


	6. Laid so Low

**(Earth-2000714):**

* * *

Reed laid motionless in Sue's old bed, his nose twitching whenever he got a whiff of dust. Rolling onto his back he stared up at the ceiling. He scrubbed his face in frustration, why couldn't he get to sleep? He was so tired, every part of him ached - especially his head. Pushing himself off the bed he surveyed his surroundings again, as if he were looking for an escape route.

Reed gave his head a shake, what was wrong with him? He rubbed his face again, he repeated the motion two more times before jumping off the bed. His mind drifted back to incident in the bathroom; It was the first time since the lake that voice spoke to him and quite literally, took control of his body, allowing him only to watch. It was frightening experience, to be able to see through your very own eyes with no connection whatsoever to your body. He wanted to tell Sue, tell her everything, but every time he - Reed's brow creased.

What was he thinking about again?  _God, I hate it when I loose my train of thought…_  He moved away from the to the bed toward the door. There it was again, that detached sensation! Reed struggled to reinsert his control, focusing on nothing but stopping in his tracks. A moment later his body obeyed, his stomach was twisting in knots. As fascinating as it the entire experience was, Reed's rational and panic overpowered the scientist in him. "What is going on?" He whispered to himself.

Brown eyes shifted upward toward the mirror of the vanity across from him. Staring back at him was not his reflection, but a woman with fiery red hair, dressed in a white bodysuit accented by gold gloves, boots, and flowing sash wrapped around her waist. In the center of the costume resided a design resembling that of a bird.  _Hello, there._  Reed nearly swallowed his tongue at the sight, he looked down at his own body in shock. Nothing changed, his body retained its masculine appearance. Looking back up at the mirror he the woman remained, this time her costume had changed. It was blood red, but the rest the costume remained the same.

_Funny little man - trying to remember. Wrong body - wrong time, place. All wrong, wrong, wrong._  Reed tilted his head to the side, the woman mimicked his movement down to the knitted brows. "Who are you?" Reed inquired, deciding to humor his hallucination. The woman raised her head, Reed kept his titled slightly, her eyes flashed green for a moment then returned to his chocolate brown.  _Trying to remember. Jean Grey? Reed Richards? One or two? Negative Zone? Phoenix Force?_

Reed scratched his head, trying to figure out what exactly his hallucination was trying to say to him. "Its official, I've run myself into the ground," Reed mumbled. The woman ignored his comment, she stared down at her gloved hands, rubbing her thumbs across the silk-like fabric. Raising her arm she moved forward, Reed mimicked her movement until their fingers pressed against the dusty glass. "Well, seeing as your just a hallucination - I think … you're a fantasy of mine. But shouldn't you look like Sue?" He said.

_I am no fantasy._  The red head smiled, her body shifted, but not into Sue. Instead she took the form of much older woman, her brown hair curled around her bare shoulders, her eyes were a pale blue and she wore a fitting strapless evening gown.  _What about her? Was she a fantasy?_

Reed felt his cheeks burning. "Alyssa Moy…? She was a girlfriend in high school. I didn't see her again until after Sue and I broke up," Reed murmured to himself. The reflection of Alyssa frowned.  _Was she a fantasy?_  The non-hallucination inquired again. Reed shook his head, the ghost of regret passing across his face. "No. Just someone who was too much like myself. It would've never worked out…" He answered, turning away. The woman blinked in uncertainty shifting back to her normal form. The emotion she had sensed from her vessel was familiar. Raising her hands, she clutched her head and shut her eyes.

Memories flooded back to her; The Negative Zone… yes, that where she was… she was waiting to be found when she latched onto this human. Her arrival brought all sorts of unwanted attention herself. To this world so much like her Jean Grey's, all too different, too grounded in its reality, to sustain her. It need to be destroyed. She was  _Reed II_  no longer. No, she was piece of a much larger being. She was Phoenix.

Phoenix looked up in time to catch Reed's astonished expression, was she projecting? Reed stepped away from the mirror, his face etched with horror. Ah, yes she was. The fractured piece of the Phoenix leaned forward, her reflection became three dimensional. Grabbing the edge of the vanity she pulled herself out the mirror and stalked toward the terrified human.

" _ **All this time I thought I was dead… something is wrong…I'm so hungry…something is missing… not strong enough… so hungry….**_ " Phoenix lunged for Reed. The scientist bolted out of the bedroom and down the hall. He stumbled into the living room, there was not a soul present. "Sue? Johnny? Ben?" He shouted, his voice quivering.  _Anybody?_  " _ **Funny little man…**_ "

Reed rushed across the living room, leaping over the couch to put some much needed distance between himself and the red head. Phoenix stepped over the threshold of the living room doorway, her body alight with flames that did not burn her. Her eyes were no longer brown, but a vivid green. She smiled in his direction before lifting off the ground. Reed tried to move, but his body would not obey his frantic commands. " _ **…She is coming, my opposite. She'll stop me, lock me up… Did she think she could keep me locked up forever?**_ "

Once she was high enough from the floor she dove forward. The flames around her spread, increasing in strength until they consumed her physical form. Coming at him now was a huge raptor, the Phoenix.  _Life. Death. Forever._  The words repeated in his head like a mantra not his own. Briefly he felt tears fall down his face. The flames bombarded him, the tears evaporated and Reed felt his very core burning as the Phoenix wrapped its essence around him and smothered him.

He fell to the ground on fire, staring down at his body he saw his costume appear but was beginning to charge. The blue became darker, the four emblem was replaced with bird he had seen on his 'hallucination's chest, the sash and the phoenix broach appeared around his waist, completing the ensemble. The Phoenix gave a cry; It was a mixture of elation and rage.

Fire exploded around her, burning the living room to a cinder. " _ **Free at last!**_ …NO! No, this isn't right!" Phoenix/Reed's eyes flashed in irritation. This body was not strong enough to sustain its strength, its infinity. She would have to work fast before this body died from exhaustion. Closing her eyes, Phoenix let out another triumphant cry before shooting straight through the roof of the Baxter Building, freeing herself completely from the Jean Grey's mental prison.

Reed shot into a sitting position, unaware that room was trembling from the unleashed strength of his captor.  _ **Freedom!**_

* * *

Meanwhile, Ben Grimm was in his bedroom when the first tremor vibrated through the building. He looked up from his book,  _Batman: The Long Halloween,_  curiously, unsure he had just felt the tremor. A moment passed and nothing happened. Sighing, Ben resumed reading the panel he paused on. Seconds later the second tremor hit, this time accompanied by a cry of agony.

The vibration sent several items flying from his shelves, the light bulb of his lamp burst in a violent flash of light and shattered glass. Ben dropped his graphic novel and hurried out of his bedroom. He raced toward the shuttering door of Sue's bedroom, the door was blown off its hinges and thrown against the wall.

* * *

Johnny was having a hard time comprehending what his sister was telling him, or rather, what she suspected was going on with her husband. He drank a chilled soda from his personalized mug sent to him by his adoring  _'Human Torch Fan club'_ , watching the agitated movement of his sister as she paced back and forth from one point of the kitchen to the other. "…So you think Reed's been hiding this from you?" Johnny asked, his tongue tingling.

Sue stopped pacing to regard her brother's incredulous expression. Didn't they have this conversation? "Yes and no," Sue replied, biting her thumbnail. Johnny rolled his eyes as he leaned back on the stool slightly. "Well, you need to make up your mind. I mean, why would Reed lie about something, much less hide it, if he didn't have control over it?" Johnny pointed out.

Sue shrugged exasperatedly. "I dunno. Why would he lie about most things, Johnny? He's afraid of what we -  _I_  - might think," She said.

"Maybe, or maybe he's as clueless as the rest of us, sis," Johnny said. "I mean, he doesn't remember why he ended up Canada - that's not something he could lie about. Not to you, he's smarter than that."

Sue grinned at her brother, slyly. "I thought you said he was world's 'smartest dumb guy'," Sue joked. Johnny shrugged; in spite of his words, he had enough respect for Reed to believe would have the sense to tell his friends, more importantly, his wife, about a manifestation of a new ability that would have him in his lab testing the limits of his powers. Or in this case, a power that could split ceilings and obliterate bathrooms. Its not something he would've kept to himself.

Reed, like the rest of them, had no idea what was going on and he was probably more eager in finding out what was wrong with him than anyone. "I just think he trusts us a lot more than you give him credit for, sometimes," He answered truthfully. His word's seemed to reach the reasonable part of his sister, Sue just stared into space fiddling with her space gasket of an engagement ring.

Even though Reed had bought an official diamond wedding ring, the sentimental value of the gasket held wouldn't allow her to wear it all the time. "I guess, your right. I'm just worried about-" The mug in Johnny's hand shattered, sending the orange soda out in all directions. Sue's words died on her tongue when the fizzy liquid hit in her the face, she vanished from sight - her emotions getting the better of her. Johnny wiped his wet hand against his shirt in dismay as the dinnerware in the cabinets began to shatter. "What the hell?" He muttered, looking around.

The moment Sue reappeared, the track lights began burst in sync with a heavy tremor that sent a chill up her spine. The second tremor hit, this time accompanied by the all too familiar scream of her husband. "Reed!" Sue and Johnny bolted from their spots, they rushed into the hall at the exact time Ben's hulking figure vanished into her old bedroom. No sooner than the man entered, another cry of surprise echoed out followed by a loud thud.

"Ben!" The two entered the bedroom without hesitation and were nearly blown back by an invisible force. Sue's eyes flew directly to the bed; Reed stood erect on the mattress, his face contorted with rage. His gaze focused on Ben who had been thrown against the wall. In corner of his eye Johnny spotted an oncoming object, grabbing his sister he ducked down and watched the floor lamp shatter against the wall.

Electricity spurted out from the severed wire as it twisted about like a whip, Sue contained the wire with a shield and refocused her attention on her husband. "Reed, stop it right now!" She screamed. Reed turned his attention away from Ben, the Thing fell to the ground in an undignified heap. Reed stepped down from the bed proceeding to approach the siblings; Sue and Johnny stood up, edging slowly out of the bedroom. Reed's face was flushed, his skin seemed transparent, veiny almost.

Raising his hand, Reed halted them in their tracks, his warm chocolate brown eyes shifting to a menacing coal color. He seemed to regard himself as he lowered his head; The raptor insignia in the center of his chest glowed an ethereal white, he looked up at his captives with a frown. "This human shell imprisons me no more! Now you shall all be judged by  _ **Phoenix!**_ " He cried mightily, raising his arms upward. Reed's body trembled as Phoenix exerted her strength through him. "Phoenix?" Johnny blurted, narrowing his gaze. "Reed, what are you talking about?" Phoenix narrowed his gaze at the young man, insulted by his ignorance.

Moving his arm toward the siblings, he sent Johnny flying into the wall of the hallway with a telekinetic burst. Sue stumbled backward when her brother's grasp was ripped away from her upper arms. She looked to her brother worriedly, he laid on the ground in a haze of pain, she looked back to her husband in anger. "Reed, what's the matter with you? Get a hold of yourself!" She cried. Reed didn't seem to hear her, he approached her and Sue created another force field to protect herself and her brother. Phoenix thrust a fist through her shield, never bothering to regard the obstacle in his path. It dissipated against her will and Sue found herself caught in a chokehold.

Sue struggled to breathe as she lifted from the ground, Reed brought her face close to his. " _ **Reed Richards is no more, only Phoenix remains,**_ " He sneered, raising her higher from the ground. Sue felt her heart skip a beat at sheer vigor the words were spoken. She didn't know who this "Phoenix" was or what caused this bout of violence in Reed, but she was not about to let him push her around for no apparent reason. Raising her left hand so that it was on level with Reed's face, she emitted a force field that sent the two flying away from each other. Phoenix was fairly confident in his grip on Sue's neck would maintain, however, when his arm refused stretch accordingly, he barely had time to look shocked as the force field pushed him backward. Sue fell outside of the bedroom, her bottom throbbed with pain as she pulled herself off the ground.

Reed and Sue's eyes met, Sue watched as the pair of coal-shaded eyes returned to their warm brown. Pain and confusion reflected in his eyes. "Sue... what-" He began, when a blast of fire roared past her and into his abdomen. "Johnny, no!" Sue stumbled to the side, quick to shield herself from the intense flames. Reed cried out as he was catapulted over Sue's old bed by the sheer force of Johnny's flame, he crashed against the wall below the window. His body twisted in response to the pain, Reed attempted to curl up on himself to relieve himself of the agony but his muscles wouldn't respond. He slid down the wall onto the floor, his body convulsed violently as the flames were absorbed into his body. "Johnny, you could've killed him!" Sue shouted, bolting from her spot.

"He just tried kill  _us_ , Sue!" Johnny interjected, powering down slightly. His fire continued to burn hot around his hands, ready for anything. Sue ignored him as she crouched down next to her writhing husband, she pressed her hands down on his jerking body and forced him on his side, sure that he was suffering a seizure.

The vibrations of his trembling body traveled up through Sue's arm, she held him down until the seizures stopped. The room suddenly grew still, the pressure that the Sue had sensed evaporated into nothing. Ben was free to pull himself away from the wall, the invisible hand no longer pressing against his body. He moved cautiously over to Sue's side, followed by Johnny, he blinked warily as he regarded the prone body on the floor. Reed blinked, his eyes unfocused as he attempted to push himself up. Sue looked to her friends with wary eyes before facing her husband. "Easy, sweetheart," Sue told him, steadying him when he swayed. Reed's pale complexion flushed as he sat settled next to Sue, his entire body ached and the familiar pulse in his left arm throbbed underneath the skin. He looked to the others, their expressions were apprehensive and unsure, Reed's gaze shifted to Sue in silent realization. "Did I do it again?" He inquired.

No one answered. Reed took their silence as a "yes".

* * *

**(Earth-1610; Think Tank):**

* * *

The closest human translation of her name was "Vision". She was one among the many early warning systems speeding across the galaxies, warning many a civilization of the arrival of Gah Lak Tus (Eater of Worlds).

Usually there was hardly anything besides that that she could do; Warnings rarely worked as many believed Gah Lack Tus to be a myth, despite the documentation of his galactic destruction. Vision and her brethren could only watch in despair as planets inhabitants were driven insane by its "fear rays", reduced to nothing by its viruses and the planet's core sucked dry by the beast. However, he had yet to reach this solar system, and Vision hoped her brethren were doing all they could to distract him from it.

On her way to warn another planet of Eater's arrival, she came across a drifting seed (indigenous to the species, Kree). The very moment her finger brushed against its surface, she was whisked away to a strange world inside her mind. It consisted mainly of empty space with only a large tree, budding with various life-force signatures, growing in its center.

There Vision met the being Seed Nineteen and her "lover" Darien. Vision was furious at first; they had pulled her into their world during a very important time, the thought of those people unaware of their fates angered her like nothing else. They understood why she was angry, but the mission they wished to send off on was deemed more important.

" _A fragment of an omnipotent force has invaded another universe. It has destroyed the barriers that separate the worlds from each other, searching for its other half. To put simply, we need you to retrieve this fragment. The Phoenix Force is a destructive power when unstable. The calamity this universe faces is, perhaps, far worse than anything Gah Lack Tus could conjure…."_

It was a difficult choice, choosing another unknown universe over one she knew she could do the most good for. Vision would have to travel light years to get the one Seed Nineteen wished for her save and in the end, would it be worth it? The only way was to find out, so Vision agreed.

Seed Nineteen released her from her hold, Vision found herself floating in the same place, the glowing seed floating in the exact place she found it.  _"Take this with you. Use it only as a last resort,"_  And then Seed Nineteen's voice was gone, along with it her presence inside Vision's head. Taking a hold of the seed, she placed inside the compartment next to her power core.

The journey was a long arduous one. It made her realize that she would need help if she were going to succeed in this mission. Thus she made a shift in her trajectory, teleporting directing into the building where her would be aid resided.

Presently though, she stood before the Fantastic Four's "legal guardians" - surrogate parents, she believed is what Susan Richards was trying to translate to her - who looked less than pleased to see her here. Dr. Storm examined the android with caution, there was no telling what her actual purpose was in this world. Her story sounded far-fetched, no matter how pot and kettle his train of though sounded. All he knew was that his children were going to have no part in it. Leaning back his chair he cast a glance to Lieutenant Lumpkin, the two appeared to be communicating with their eyes, allowing no objection to whatever they decided.

Reed stepped up from behind Iron Man, his gaze watching the sour expression on Dr. Storm's face. "No," Was all he said. Vision's confidence suddenly faltered, they were withdrawing their aid? "Reed was certain you would help," Vision stated, her face hopeful. Dr. Storm shifted his gaze toward the flabbergasted foursome of young adults, his lips twisted in disapproval. "Reed knows better than to make promises he can't keep," Dr. Storm stated.

"But sir, think about this! We just can't not help her, this is big!" Reed insisted. Dr. Storm's gaze darkened at the boy's eagerness to help. "Not a chance Reed. Its high time that I put a stop to your would-be superhero antics and brought you back down to reality- You're here to help with this building's research and development divisions…" His finger jabbed with every word, accusing. "I won't allow you to put my children in danger any longer!" At the very reminder of past screw ups, Reed lowered his head, shamefaced.

"Oh, for the love of- Dad, do you hear yourself? I'm 21 years old, Johnny's 20. We're hardly children anymore!" Sue bellowed, throwing her hands out into the air. The frustration of being 'shielded' by her father was beginning to grow tiresome and this time, no sad face or trail of tears running down his face were going to save him from her wrath.

Dr. Storm was mildly taken aback by his daughter's response. "She's right dad, we're practically adults. Not to mention full-fledged Superheroes, not matter what you say. We can handle ourselves just fine," Johnny added. At this Ben blinked in disbelief at the youngest Storm. "As far as maturity goes, the jury's still out on you, kid," The Thing muttered. Jonny just pretended to look hurt.

"Besides, Reed is not the cause of every calamity we encounter!" Sue continued.

"He is half the time-"

"Johnny,  _shut up!_ "

"ENOUGH!" Dr. Storm bellowed, shocking all those present in the room. Iron Man gave a slight cough under his breath, but you couldn't tell because he wore his helmet still. "My word is final! I'm sorry, miss Vision, but your just going to have to find help somewhere else. Perhaps the Ultimates?" Iron Man barely nodded his head before Dr. Storm excused himself from his own office. Lieutenant Lumpkin followed after the man, his gaze focused solely on Vision as he left. Iron Man tried not to look flustered as he followed after the adults. The android watched their figures disappear down the hallway, Seed Nineteen was not going to be pleased when she discovered her plan failed… assuming she was even aware she was not where she needed to be.

She turned to Reed, who, for the most part appeared truly regretful for ever promising his people would help her. Vision didn't blame him, she knew how authority figures could be. Placing a hand on his slouched shoulder she used the other to lift his chin upward. In the corner of her eye she saw his lover stiffen in disapproval. "Thank you, Reed Richards. But now I must go," With a short nod of her head, she headed over to the large window and extended her hand. The void she appeared from opened again and she stepped through void, disappearing from their lives.

The room was silent for a moment, Sue came up to Reed with a rough sigh. "I'm sorry about Dad, he can be such an overprotective ass sometimes," She slung her arms around him, resting her chin on his shoulder. Reed shook his head. "No, he has every right to act the way he did," He murmured. Sue gave her boyfriend a deserving slap on the head, Reed flinched and tried to pull away from her, Sue kept her grip on him. "No, he didn't. Don't think for one second that he did," Sue said.

"I dunno about you guys, but if we're done here, I'm going to play a round of  _Dance, Dance Revolution_  with Enid," Johnny yawned, stretching his limbs. "So long as we get play  _Drake's Fortune_ , I'm game," Ben cracked his knuckles enthusiastically. "How about it Reed?" Ben gave his friend a playful punch on the shoulder. Reed pulled himself out his bout of self-pity long enough to crack a smile. "Maybe I'll watch. I never saw much sense in playing those games. We live through stuff worse than what they depict," Reed rambled as Sue led him out of her father's office.

"Dude, its all about the graphics.  _PS3_  totally owns  _X-BOX 360_ ," Johnny declared, punching the air. "Man, you are so wrong on all accounts. The  _Wii_  pwnd both," Ben argued. The two were soon engaged a 'console wars' debate, walking ahead of Sue and Reed. Sue rolled her eyes at their pointless debate before shifting her attention to Reed.

Despite his best efforts to be upbeat, she knew the "conversation" between them and Dr. Storm, refusing to help the being Vision, lingered heavily in his mind. The way his eyes held at half-mass, his lips pouted and his jaw shifted as he grinded his teeth behind closed lips was a dead give away. The very moment he was left unattended, Reed was going to do something stupid.

* * *

**(TBC)**


	7. Bad News, Red Hair

**(Earth-2000714):**

* * *

Jean Grey glided easily through the light traffic of Manhattan, one hand steadying the steering wheel as she reached into her glove compartment. One eye searching for an empty parking space near her desired destination, Jean reapplied lip-balm to her flaking lips, checking her appearance in the rearview mirror automatically. Finally, she spotted a car pulling out of a parking space next to the tall art-deco styled building and accelerated her speed.

She pulled into the empty space, making sure her tires were aligned with the curb before turning the engine off. The low rumble of the engine died out, leaving her in silence. Pulling the keys out of the ignition Jean stepped out of the car, locking it before she shut the door. Her red hair blew across her face as she tilted her head upward and stared up at the gleaming glass and stone of the Baxter Building. The seemingly docile building lured visitors into a false sense of security, like many of the buildings encompassing the surrounding area. And while Jean was not opposed to security and comfort, there was something suffocating and inescapable about the cluster of buildings around her. She chalked it up to becoming too accustomed to the open living space of Xavier's estate and mansion.

Brushing her hair out of her face, Jean proceeded through the revolving doors into the small lobby of the Baxter. Immediately, a graying man wearing a hotel uniform looked up from the crossword he was puzzling over. "Hello, and welcome to the Baxter building!" He greeted. His smile put Jean at ease. "Is there something you need help with?" Benny inquired. Jean shook her head, returning the smile. "No, thank you. I have a friend that lives in this building," Jean answered smoothly. Benny looked at her strangely; Most people that came through those revolving doors claimed to have an invite from the Fantastic Four while only a few actually had people leaving below the penthouse belonging to the foursome. Without waiting for a response, Jean made her way over to the elevator doors, with a nudge of her telekinesis the doors opened and allowed her entrance.

"Erm, miss-" Jean heard the man stammer as the doors closed. Leaning against wall of the elevator she watched the lights illuminate the numbers above the door, counting the seconds with the tap out of her foot. A few moments the ding of the bell brought Jean out of her empty state of mind. The doors opened and she found herself faced with yet another lobby. Stepping off the elevator she ventured further into the lobby examining the refined stone walls, the empty desk, and the floor plants sitting on each side of the mahogany desk.

Jean stepped closer to the desk and was greeted by a shimmering image. Her brown eyes widened in surprise. The luminescent woman smiled pleasantly at her, hands clasped in front of her. "Hello, may I help you?" She inquired, still smiling.

* * *

_What's goin' on, egghead?_

_I can't believe he just tried to kill us!_

_What's happening to you, Reed?_

Reed's head felt like he had gone through the spin cycle of the washing machine. Along with his own muddled and fuzzied thoughts, he could clearly hear the others thought process and theirs were no clearer than his own. He sat on the couch in a daze, his skin felt unusually taut and dry. He leaned against the cushions of the musty piece of furniture and tried to keep the increasing nausea from reaching his throat.

Sue next to him, a mug of lukewarm water in her hand. Her gaze shifted over to Johnny and Ben who stood across from the couch, their arms folded across their chests in obvious frustration. In the aftermath of the bedroom incident, Ben was given the duty of keeping a wired Johnny preoccupied while Sue lead a disoriented Reed out of her old bedroom and into the living room.

Sue, mildly amused by her brother's sudden change of opinion towards Reed, understood that Johnny wanted to protect his 'big-sis' whenever she was being mistreated, but Sue knew what happened with Reed was not his fault. At least she hoped it wasn't his fault. "So, um, does anyone want to explain to me, what just happened?" Johnny inquired.

"I'd like an explanation myself, Suzie," Ben seconded.

Sue shook her head. "Near as I tell, Reed experienced some loss of control with his new ability," She replied, her eyes automatically moving the man next to her. Reed made no sign that he heard her. His face was contorted with pain as curled his left arm against his chest and leaned forward. His chest burned something worse than heartburn, that was the only thing he was sure of. "What's wrong?" Sue said worriedly. Reed shook his head. "My head hurts," He answered simply.

Ignoring Reed's obvious pain, Johnny continued to press for an answer. "Okay, but why was he calling himself  _'Phoenix'_? Tell me you can explain that?" He countered. Sue looked to Reed for answers, but the man could do nothing but shake his head. Johnny and Ben groaned in dismay. "I know how crazy this sounds, but can't remember anything! I know there's something that could explain all of this, I know it! I just can't get to it," Reed rambled, frustrated.

"Well, that does us no good. What if you go nuts again, egghead? We won't be able to stop you," Ben stated.

"I could-" Reed's words died on his tongue when their holographic secretary's voice echoed throughout the living room.

_Excuse me, Dr. Richards, but you have a visitor._

The foursome exchanged glances with each other, Reed sat up a little straighter. A visitor? The unspoken question was answered when a head of red hair appeared from around the corner, the Fantastic Four blinked in bewilderment, genuinely surprised. Jean Grey of the X-Men stood just a few feet away from them, dressed in white shorts and an elbow length shirt with a pair of sunglasses sitting atop her head. In the murky depths of his mind, Reed heard a genderless voice clawing at his mind - a small spike of pain ran down the side of his head. He groaned quietly, pressing his left hand to his throbbing head.

Ben's blue eyes continued to blink rapidly. He stared at Grey like she wasn't there. The last time he had seen her, she and the rest of the X-Men were escorting the three of them back to the Baxter Building after rescuing them from the first Fantasticar. Sue stood up from the couch, her composure serious and stiff. "Can I help you, Dr. Grey?" She asked, not at all unkind. Jean nodded her head slowly, her brown eyes focused on Reed for a second before moving back on Susan. "I'm sorry for dropping in without notice, but, yes, I need to speak with you," Jean started. "All four of you. It's important," Jean shifted on her feet, twisting the wedding ring on her finger.

The atmosphere inside the room became so thick with anxiety, Sue was sure she could cut through it with a swipe of her hand. "So much for pleasantries," Johnny muttered. Sue shot him a brief look of warning. He shrugged in mock-innocence. Ben swept a hand along the space in front of him, trying his best to hide the irritation on his face. "Well, come on in, Miss Grey," He said. Jean's fingers tightened around her bag revealing her nervousness, she entered swiftly without hesitation.

Johnny grinned a little, regarding her skinny frame and ignoring the simmering glare he was getting from his sister. Jean stopped at the coffee table next to Johnny, looking up from the ground she found the foursome watching her expectantly. She laughed nervously. "I'm - I'm not sure where to start," Jean mumbled, tucking her hair behind her ears.

Johnny shrugged. "You can start talking - for starters… Ow!" Ben shoved the young man roughly, Johnny stumbled backward and nearly fell over. Johnny glared at his friend as he righted himself. There was nothing more he would've loved doing than sending Ben through a wall. But the penthouse had enough holes in it as was and Sue was bound to do something worse if he tried. Straightening his shirt, he stood embarrassed behind Jean and grumbled to himself. Jean pretended that the moment didn't happen and proceeded. "It was a few weeks after the Negative Zone incident-"

"Wait, what?" Ben interrupted, confused. Jean raised a hand, pressing her lips together in frustration. "Please, let me finish," She said, uneasy. Ben sent a look to Sue who shared his confusion.

Jean continued. "We finally found Dr. Richards, in the Alkali Lake. Cyclops and Wolverine were sent to retrieve him. When they arrived, Reed emerged from the water and attacked them. According to them, he used the lake against them revealing some laden telekinetic ability. Cyclops rendered him unconscious with a blast, they returned to mansion. I examined him, he checked out fine, there was nothing wrong with him physically…"

"Wait, why are you telling us this? Why are you even here?" Sue decided to ask. The abruptness of Jean's appearance and her story unsettled her. And if she didn't know any better, Jean was here because of Reed.

Jean bit the edge of her lip, maintaining the grimly serious expression on her face. "…I've been having - the…" She sighed. "For the past year now, I've sensed this presence. At first I thought my powers were acting up again - picking up random mutant strengths, maybe, I dunno. But two weeks ago, it resurfaced again, and it was coming from the Alkali Lake."

She shifted her gaze to the man on the couch. "It was coming from you, specifically, Dr. Richards," Upon her revelation Jean said. Ben, Sue, and Johnny shared a look of shock and confusion. Reed's expression, on the other hand was a mixture of knowing and latent fear. "This would all make a little more sense if I could continue -"

"By all means, continue, Miss Grey," Sue retorted, interrupting the physic.


End file.
